Trauma

The Center for Trauma Care at Phoenix Children’s Hospital – Thomas Campus is the only one in the state designated as a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Level I means our program offers the highest quality of care and the most extensive range of services to treat serious injuries. At Phoenix Children’s, your child will get the best pediatric trauma care available – and get it fast.

Our Center for Trauma Care is the only one designated by the Arizona Department of Health Services specifically for pediatric trauma care. Kids aren’t just small adults – they require special equipment that you won’t find at an adult level I trauma center. We make sure children get the specialized care they need, from devices that fit their size to unique treatments and medications tailored to growing bodies. Our sole focus is on pediatric care, which keeps your child at the forefront during every step of treatment and recovery.

We have continued to expand our trauma program across the state. In fact, the Phoenix Children’s Emergency Department – Avondale Campus has earned a Level IV Trauma Center. This geographic growth ensures families throughout the state have access – close to home – for the specialized care their children need. And if the injury is severe, we can quickly transport the child within our health system for specialized treatments.

When your child is injured, you want expert care fast. All of our doctors are pediatricians. And they all have vast experience in treating kids with traumatic injuries. We quickly pull together the right team for a thorough evaluation so we can begin effective, specialized treatment right away.

Working around the clock every day of the year, our Center for Trauma Care has:

• Board-certified surgeons with extensive training in pediatric care
• Pediatric anesthesiologists to provide safe sedation and procedural care
• Skilled registered nurses and support staff
• Pediatric-specific pain management specialists
• Psychologists trained in pediatric mental health
• Rehab physicians and specialists, as well as an inpatient pediatric rehab unit
• X-ray, CT scan and other imaging services designed especially for kids

Our surgical suites and intensive care and critical care units were designed to serve the unique needs of children and adolescents. We have a critical care physician in the hospital at all times. Our Blood Bank and lab stand ready to begin their important work. And our Child Life, Spiritual Care and Social Work specialists are available to support your family, not just your child.

No parent expects a serious injury for their child, but when it happens, we’re ready. Our goal is to let your child can get back to just being a kid as soon they can.

Known around the world as a leader in pediatric research studies, teams at Phoenix Children’s remain at the forefront of clinical knowledge in pediatric care. We serve as a lead site for a number of groundbreaking studies. These efforts ensure we use the most up-to-date techniques and treatments, and we continue to advance our knowledge in caring for children with traumatic injuries.

The range of our research varies from traumatic brain injuries to stem cell treatments and the safety of new, life-saving medications. We remain steadfast in our goals of finding more effective treatments and working toward constant quality improvement. This work is dedicated to tomorrow’s injured children.

See Our Teams in Action

Take a virtual tour of our Center for Trauma Care and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit to learn how we prepare to care for your child from the minute they arrive – perhaps on one of our helipad landing areas – until they are able to go home. The high-tech equipment in our trauma bays and operating rooms combine with the knowledge and fast-action of our expert staff to offer resuscitation and advanced trauma life support. Saving lives is what we’re trained to do. We never stray from that mission.