UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital Marion Emergency Room has earned the first trauma certification for a freestanding ER in Iowa, as stated in a news release Tuesday.
St. Luke’s Marion ER, located at 3301 Armar Drive, was designated as a Level IV Trauma Center by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Emergency Medical and Trauma Services.
The release states that Level IV Trauma Centers provide advanced trauma life support before transferring patients to higher-level trauma centers when necessary. The Marion ER is the only freestanding ER facility in the state to pursue and receive this designation.
“This designation and our team’s work to earn this certification show their commitment to delivering high-quality, immediate trauma care for patients,” said Casey Greene, UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital president, in the release. “Achieving this certification as a freestanding ER is a remarkable accomplishment and demonstrates the level of excellence, preparation, and dedication our team brings to trauma care. It reassures patients and their families they are in capable hands, receiving expert care when it matters most.”
St. Luke’s Marion ER opened in August 2024. The release states that with this new Level IV designation, the facility strengthens its ability to stabilize and treat trauma patients while maintaining close collaboration for advanced care when needed.
The St. Luke’s Marion ER, totaling 10,000 square feet, is open 24 hours a day year-round. It is staffed by board-certified emergency medicine providers from East Central Iowa Acute Care — which also serves St. Luke’s Cedar Rapids ER — along with nurses, patient care technicians, and other health care professionals.
