St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center has been committed to leading the way in emergency care for more than 100 years and trauma care since obtaining Level I Trauma status in the early 1990s.

Emergency Department
As a tertiary care and referral center, the Emergency Department (ED) treats more than 60,000 patients a year, including 20,000 pediatric patients. The department’s physicians are board- certified in Emergency Medicine, and the nursing staff is certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Trauma Nurse Core Curriculum.

Each year, thousands of children are brought to St. Joseph’s 50-bed ED. Pediatricians are always available to deliver high-quality care, especially during high-volume times (between 4 p.m. and 2 a.m.) when patients cannot typically access their regular doctors. St. Joseph’s ED is committed to caring for all children in an attentive and thorough manner, never closing the door on any- one in need, regardless of ability to pay.

In September 2006, the hospital opened a new ED with a pediatric area devoted entirely to the care of children. The Pediatric Emergency Department is open during the high volume times of 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. All staff are specialized in pediatric care, offering children and their families assistance for urgent medical needs.

Trauma Center
Within St. Joseph’s ED is the state’s only Level I Trauma Center verified by the American College of Surgeons. The Trauma Center draws referrals through- out Arizona and bordering states. St. Joseph’s opened a new Trauma Center in September 2006, doubling its amount of space for treating severely injured patients.

The Trauma Center’s specialized medical team provides coordinated, emergent care 24 hours a day. The multidisciplinary team, led by a trauma surgeon, evaluates injuries and provides care in a state-of-the-art Trauma Room. The 6 bay Trauma Center treats nearly 4,000 pediatric patients each year.

Patients treated in the Trauma Center have access to:

• The latest technology for diagnosing life-threatening problems
• Trauma Operating Rooms ready to receive patients with emergent surgical needs
• A dedicated Trauma Intensive Care Unit for the continuation of critical trauma care after a patient is stabilized.

An array of subspecialists contributes to the Trauma Center’s comprehensive care. This is particularly beneficial to patients who have more than one injury and require care from several different physicians. The Trauma Team includes 8 board certified Trauma Surgeons, 8 Physician Assistants, 1 Nurse Practitioner and 9 Trauma Nurse Clinicians.

Prevention
Trauma remains the leading cause of death in children, which is why St. Joseph’s is dedicated to pediatric trauma care. More than 40 percent of pediatric patients are treated for injuries sustained during motor vehicle collisions. Twenty-four percent are treated as a result of bicycle-auto-pedestrian crashes, and an increasing number of patients - almost 5 percent - are treated as a result of All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) collisions. St. Joseph’s works with community organizations to advocate helmet use.

Physicians in St. Joseph’s Trauma Center also focus on research in hopes of preventing accidents and injuries. Research in trauma prevention includes:

• Studying ATV crashes and their effects on children
• Studying retained hemothorax problems with chest traumas
• Studying cystic inflammation
• Preventing fatal blood clots to the lung
• Examining and testing a substance that helps blood clotting, especially in patients who require massive transfusions and no longer have any clotting factors