Trauma: Life in the ER

Oakland, CA, is home to more than 100 gangs and a large population of people struggling with poverty and substance abuse. Despite a low budget, the ER at Highland Hospital will manage to treat a wide range of injuries and people.

Travel the halls of Arizona's largest hospital, Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, with doctors treating a teen who collided with a tractor-trailer, a chest stabbing victim, a man who was nearly decapitated and a woman giving birth in her car.

Denver Health Medical Center's trauma unit is equipped to handle disasters of any magnitude, including Columbine High School shooting victims that were treated there. Join staff as they treat car wreck victims, gunshot wounds and snowboarding injuries.

Hennepin County Medical Center defies the county hospital stereotype. With state-of-the-art equipment and private treatment cubicles, over 90,000 patients can be treated each year without overcrowding Minnesota's oldest ER.

Travel to one of the busiest trauma units in the nation at Louisville's University Hospital. With the only Level I Trauma Center for hundreds of miles, the staff sees their share of injuries and domestic violence victims from isolated rural areas.

The comfortable climate and a colorful nightlife combine to increase drinking, irresponsible driving and reckless outdoor behavior during the summer months in Nashville. The talented staff of Vanderbilt University Medical Center's ER picks up the pieces.

At Houston's Memorial Hermann Emergency Trauma Department, a dedicated staff treats the rowdy remains of the Wild West. A teen is broadsided by a pickup truck, a child is attacked by a Rottweiler, and victims are injured in a three-car pile-up.

Outdated equipment and supply shortages force the staff of Highland Hospital in Oakland, CA, to improvise techniques and treatments. They're dedicated to providing even the most destitute patients with quality care.

Like the mythological phoenix, the doctors and nurses of Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center have come to the Level I Trauma Center to jump-start their personal and professional lives. They pursue diverse goals but share a dedication to medicine.

Denver, Colorado's disenfranchised population swells as the arts, recreation and the booming economy of the city boost growth. Rocky Mountain Regional Trauma Center treats victims of accidents, violence and illness with innovative medical care.