Hospital Dedicates Philadelphia’s First Trauma Center in Memory of Charles C. Wolferth, Jr., M.D.  

PHILADELPHIA, December 6, 2006 – Hahnemann University Hospital celebrated the memory of the late Charles C. Wolferth, Jr., M.D., as the institution officially changed the name of its trauma center in his honor on October 26, 2006.  Among many noteworthy accomplishments during his medical career, Dr. Wolferth established Philadelphia’s first specialized trauma unit and aeromedical transport program at Hahnemann University Hospital. 

Including remarks from Hahnemann University Hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Michael P. Halter, Chief Medical Officer George Amrom, M.D., and Medical Director of Trauma Services Joseph Karam, M.D., the ceremony included an official ribbon cutting, presentation of a City of Philadelphia proclamation by Interim Public Health Commissioner Carmen Paris and a hors d’oeuvres reception.

“I can think of no better tribute to honor the extraordinary commitment and contributions Dr. Charles Wolferth made to the field of trauma,” stated Halter.  “Not only is he remembered for establishing our city’s first trauma center here at Hahnemann, but for his tireless efforts to advance the standards in which trauma care and services are both measured and monitored in Pennsylvania and across the country.”

During his 44-year career, Dr. Wolferth, a nationally know surgeon and trauma expert, was instrumental in forming the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation, a body that today stands as a model for trauma systems nationwide.  

“Dr. Wolferth spent 28 years of his remarkable career here at Hahnemann University Hospital,” noted Dr. Karam.  “His pioneering work to help improve patient care outcomes in the trauma care arena cannot be overstated.”  

Hahnemann University Hospital is a 541-bed academic medical center at Broad & Vine Streets in Philadelphia, Pa.  The hospital is a tertiary care institution that specializes in cardiac services, heart failure and transplantation, OB/GYN, orthopedics, medical, surgical and radiation oncology, bone marrow transplantation, renal dialysis and kidney/pancreas/liver transplantation.  The hospital performed one of the city’s first kidney transplant in 1963 and one of the first bone marrow transplant in 1976.  In 1986, Hahnemann became Philadelphia’s first Level I Regional Resource Trauma Center for adults, and since then has been served by University MedEvac, an aeromedical transport program for critically ill patients.  Hahnemann is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. 

An affiliate of Drexel University College of Medicine, Hahnemann University Hospital is part of Tenet Pennsylvania, which also includes Graduate Hospital, Roxborough Memorial Hospital, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and Warminster Hospital.  To learn more about Hahnemann, visit www.hahnemannhospital.com .    

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