SUITABILITY ANALYSIS FOR A LEVEL II TRAUMA CENTER IN MISSISSIPPI

Abstract

As populations expand and age, the demand for rapid and reliable access to trauma care continues to increase, making the placement of trauma facilities critical for saving lives. This project determines the most appropriate locations for a Level II trauma center within the state of Mississippi. The study examines deficiencies in current trauma care coverage and identifies where an additional facility could improve emergency medical response. The analysis integrates spatial data on transportation infrastructure, existing trauma hospitals, population distribution, demographic risk factors, environmental hazards, and land-use constraints to support the site selection process. The research applies both vector and raster spatial methods to evaluate accessibility and potential service demand. Key variables include proximity to major road networks, distance from existing Level I, II, III, and IV trauma hospitals, census tract-level population change, and the spatial distribution of age-related injury risk. The model also incorporates environmental and land-use limitations, including national forests, protected wildlife areas, agricultural land, and flood-risk zones, to remove unsuitable development areas. The study conducts a Boolean suitability model to determine locations that satisfy essential criteria and a weighted suitability model to prioritize candidate sites based on the relative importance of each variable. Results classify regions as most suitable, suitable, low suitability, or unsuitable zones and highlight locations that could strengthen trauma care availability throughout Mississippi.