June 23, 2026
LAKELAND, Fla. – Lakeland Regional Health has been designated a Level I Trauma Center, the highest level of trauma care available, by the Florida Department of Health. This designation builds on nearly three decades of service, as Lakeland Regional Health has provided state-approved trauma care to patients across the region since 1997.
“The most significant impact of being a Level I Trauma Center is the ability to keep families together during a traumatic event,” said Dr. Timothy Regan, President, Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center and Chief Medical Officer, Lakeland Regional Health. “We are equipped to provide advanced, multidisciplinary trauma care for patients of all ages, 24/7, ensuring comprehensive and timely support when it matters most. Families will no longer need to leave the county to be near their loved ones during recovery.”
As a Level I Trauma Center, Lakeland Regional Health is equipped to provide the most advanced, comprehensive care for both severely injured adult and pediatric patients. This achievement significantly expands access to specialized trauma services in the region, allowing more patients to receive lifesaving care close to home while reducing the need for transfers outside the county.
With an annual trauma volume of more than 4,400 patients, Lakeland Regional Health plays a critical role in the region’s emergency care infrastructure. The Trauma Center features four hybrid operating rooms, a robust orthopedic traumatology program, and advanced capabilities such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and the use of whole blood for adult massive transfusion protocol activations.
“The Level I designation expands our ability to care for every patient in our community who needs us,” said Dr. Olumide Sobowale, Trauma Medical Director. “Being entrusted with providing lifesaving care is an honor shared by every member of our team.”
Lakeland Regional Health is also home to the Bannasch Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation Medicine, the only inpatient acute rehabilitation facility in Polk County accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). The institute provides specialized services to help patients regain strength, independence, and quality of life following serious injury.
Lakeland Regional Health has provided trauma care as a state-approved Level II Trauma Center since 1997 and has operated as a Provisional Level I Trauma Center since May 2025.
Not-for-profit Lakeland Regional Health reaches beyond its hospital walls to promote wellness, education, and discovery in new places and new ways, providing a wide range of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services at its Medical Center, Tampa General Cancer Institute | Lakeland Regional Health Hollis Cancer Center, and ambulatory care locations. Lakeland Regional Health earned Most Wired Advanced and Most Wired status 10 times since 2013 and has earned workplace awards from Forbes, Gallup, and Becker’s Hospital Review. Its 910-bed comprehensive tertiary referral hospital, Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, operates the Jack and Tina Harrell Family Institute for Advanced Cardiovascular Medicine; a Level I Trauma Center; the Carol Jenkins Barnett Pavilion for Women and Children, which includes a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; the Bannasch Institute for Advanced Rehabilitation Medicine; and the Harrell Family Center for Behavioral Wellness.
Share:
General Information
For Medical Professionals
Our Services
Medical Center & Pavilion
Centers of Excellence
Careers & More