Hartford Hospital

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Hartford Hospital's main entrance

Hartford Hospital is an acute care hospital located in the South End of Hartford, Connecticut. The hospital was formed in 1854 after the State of Connecticut granted a charter for the Formation of Hartford Hospital following a boiler explosion and resulting fire at the Fales and Grey Car Works resulting in 21 deaths and 50 people seriously injured.

At 819 beds, Hartford Hospital is one of the largest medical centers in the Northeast and the second-largest in Connecticut.^{[citation needed]} The hospital is a major tertiary care facility for the statewide region and is state designated as a Level I Trauma Center, able to care for the most critically injured of patients.

LifeStar taking off from the scene of a car accident in Glastonbury, Connecticut

In addition, Hartford Hospital operates Connecticut's only air ambulance service, LIFE STAR which began operation in 1985 and operates two American Eurocopter BK-117 helicopters. One helicopter is based on the rooftop helipad at Hartford Hospital and another is based at affiliated Backus Hospital in Norwich, Connecticut. LIFE STAR provides patient care and inter-facility transport between hospitals in New England and New York. In addition, LIFE STAR provides advanced life support scene response and transport for the most critically injured and medically unstable patients in Connecticut. These patients are taken to Level I or Level II trauma centers across the state according to state regulations. The program averages 1,400 patient transports per year and plays a vital role in providing speedy access to trauma care for patients in outlying, rural areas.

Hartford Hospital also boasts the second largest multi-place hyperbaric chamber in the Northeastern United States, second only to Phelps Memorial Hospital Center, in Sleepy Hollow, NY. Capable of treating up to ten patients at one time, this chamber treats both chronic wounds and emergencies, such as Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and Necrotizing Fasciitis.