In 1984, San Diego County implemented a regional trauma system and selected six hospitals to serve as emergency trauma centers. The county designated Rady Children's as the only pediatric trauma center in the county.
When injured patients in San Diego County meet specific trauma criteria, they are transported directly to one of the six designated trauma centers. All designated trauma patients under the age of 15 in San Diego County are taken to the Sam S. and Rose Stein Emergency Care Center at Rady Children's. Rady Children's cares for approximately 125 trauma patients per month.
The integrated trauma program covers all phases of care including:
- Pre-hospital care
- Resuscitation and stabilization
- Surgical intervention
- Inpatient critical care and specialty care
- Rehabilitation and outcome analysis
- Injury prevention
Rady Children's trauma service offers interdisciplinary teams of medical and surgical specialists including:
- Pediatric trauma surgeons
- Pediatric critical care/anesthesia physicians
- Emergency physicians
- Trauma nurses
- Respiratory therapists
- Radiology technicians
- Lab technicians
- Pharmacists
- Medical social workers
- Rehabilitation therapists
