Neurotrauma Care

The treatments and support you need to recover from a serious head or spine injury.

Call 206.744.3074

Neurotrauma Care

The treatments and support you need to recover from a serious head or spine injury.

Call 206.744.3074

Comprehensive neurotrauma services for all ages

Serious injuries to the skull, brain or spinal cord require highly specialized care. Fast, expert treatment is critical, followed by ongoing care to help patients regain their independence and quality of life. Call 911 or get care right away if you or someone else has symptoms of a brain, spine or nerve injury.

At Harborview Medical Center, experienced neurotrauma specialists deliver that care every day. As home to one of the most comprehensive neurotrauma programs in the world, Harborview brings together neurosurgeons, neurocritical care specialists, neuroanesthesiologists and specially trained nurses who work as a coordinated team when every second counts and throughout your recovery.

Level 1 trauma center

Harborview Medical Center is the region’s only level I adult and pediatric trauma center (the highest level attainable).

30-bed neuro ICU

Harborview’s 30-bed neurological intensive care unit (ICU) cares for people with neurological illnesses or injuries.

Nationally ranked rehab

Our nationally ranked Rehabilitation Medicine program helps people regain abilities and function.

Traumatic brain, nerve and spine injuries we treat

Look to our expert team to quickly assess and treat:

Head injuries, including skull fractures and complex facial injuries
Spinal column injuries, such as fractured vertebrae
Spinal cord injuries, which occur when there is damage to the bundle of nerves inside the spine
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including concussions (mild TBIs)

We also treat complications that arise from neurotrauma, including seizures, stroke, nerve damage, autonomic dysreflexia (sudden spike in blood pressure) and bleeding (or blood clots) in the brain.

Hidden Brain Bleed: How a Fall Led to a Subdural Hematoma

After a fall, Gerhard suffered a subdural hematoma — a dangerous brain bleed. He needed urgent surgery from a specialized neurotrauma team. With no neurosurgeon available locally in Fairbanks, his care team transported him to Harborview Medical Center.

Read about Gerhard’s urgent surgery and recovery »

Neurotrauma treatment

For more than 100 years, Harborview Medical Center has been dedicated to trauma care. That commitment goes beyond individual expertise. It reflects a coordinated system built to care for people with the most serious injuries and help them achieve the best possible outcomes.

The highest level of trauma care

Harborview Medical Center is home to the only level I adult and pediatric trauma center in Washington state. This designation represents the highest level of care for people with the most severe and complex injuries.

Through UW Medicine’s academic air medical program, Harborview extends that expertise far beyond Seattle. Airlift Northwest provides 24/7 critical care flights across Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho and Oregon, bringing specialized trauma and neurotrauma care directly to patients when time matters most.

Support for every step of your recovery

From the moment you arrive at Harborview with a brain or spine injury, you’re in expert hands. Our neurosurgeons lead our neurotrauma program, working closely with emergency medicine, critical care and rehabilitation specialists to deliver timely, coordinated treatment.

That experience matters. Research shows that hospitals caring for a high volume of neurotrauma patients achieve better outcomes.

As you prepare to leave the hospital, your care team helps remove barriers to recovery. We look at what you’ll need at home, help you understand next steps in care and connect you with services that make the transition smoother for you and your family.

Learn more about neurological surgery at UW Medicine

National leaders in neurotrauma care

Harborview and UW Medicine are national leaders in neurotrauma research, prevention and recovery. Our teams shape how clinicians treat brain injuries across the country, including efforts to protect young athletes and care for military personnel.

Christine Mac Donald, PhD, leads concussion research at UW Medicine alongside clinicians at our high-volume concussion clinic, which focuses on rehabilitation and long-term recovery.

Harborview clinicians have helped set national standards for neurotrauma care. UW Medicine Neurosurgeon Richard Ellenbogen, MD, played a key role in the care of Zack Lystedt, whose injury led Washington state to pass the Lystedt Law in 2009. The law helps protect young athletes from returning to sports too soon after a head injury and has influenced similar laws nationwide.

Harborview also launched the Seattle International Brain Injury Consensus Conference, where experts developed treatment guidance now used in hospitals across the country.

Neurological rehabilitation and recovery

After a neurologic injury, you may notice changes in how your body or brain functions. Recovery can look different for everyone, and it often takes time, care and the right support.

With a personalized combination of therapies, many people are able to improve their function and quality of life. Your neurotrauma team works closely with specialists from UW Medicine’s Rehabilitation Medicine program to support your recovery. Our goal is to help you build strength, improve mobility and regain independence at your own pace.

Rehabilitation at UW Medicine

Nationally recognized care: U.S. News & World Report ranks our rehabilitation program as one of the best in the nation.
Accredited inpatient rehab: Our two inpatient rehabilitation units provide 24/7 care for patients needing several types of intense rehab therapies at the same time, for an extended period.
Specialized neuro-rehab services: We offer brain injury rehabilitation and rehab care for all levels of spinal cord injury and paralysis.

Learn more about our rehabilitation program »