Primary Children’s Hospital is a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center, certified by the American College of Surgeons. This designation ensures that injured children will receive expert care at Primary Children’s Hospital. We are the only Pediatric Trauma Center in the Intermountain West and serve patients in a 6-state region. For more than 95 years, we have been helping children, families, and communities across the western United States.
This department offers
- Pediatric trauma care
Amyah and Amberley: Strength & Resilience
After 7-year-old Amyah was paralyzed in a severe car accident in late 2019, Primary Children’s trauma surgeon Dr. Katie Russell felt she could benefit from meeting someone with a similar injury. Amyah met Amberley Snyder, a paralyzed championship barrel racer whose story is the subject of the Netflix Original entitled Walk. Ride. Rodeo.
Our Programs and Services
The Life Flight Pediatric team is the only dedicated pediatric transport service in the Intermountain West. The nurses on this team have spent their career caring for children between the ages of 30 days to 14 and older. What is unique about this team, compared to other services in the area that transport pediatric patients, is their nursing experience, training, physician support and oversight are based out of Primary Children’s Hospital, a nationally known and recognized hospital dedicated to providing specialized and compassionate care for children and teens. In collaboration with emergency and critical care physicians at Primary Children’s Hospital, the pediatric specialty team provides best practice in pediatric care management to seamlessly transitioning care from referral to receiving hospital.
- Brings pediatric expertise to the pre-hospital setting
- Pediatric transport ventilator
- CPAP and BiPAP
- High frequency ventilation
- High flow nasal cannula
- Inhaled Nitric Oxide
In order to be designated as a Level 1 Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons, many requirements must be in place. Primary Children’s has the following: •
- A system in place for notifying the trained trauma team and needed specialists.
- An operating room available at all times.
- 24/7 coverage by specialists in anesthesiology, critical care, neurosurgery, orthopedics, otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat), radiology, plastics, vascular, burn, urology, and cardiac surgery.
- Priority status for trauma patients when it comes to lab results, imaging, procedures, and admission.
We are constantly evaluating our performance to ensure we are always providing the best possible care to our patients. Our program is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program (ACS TQIP®) where trauma professionals across the country share data and best practices with the goal of improving outcomes for trauma patients.
Our multidisciplinary team consists of surgeons, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, respiratory therapists, dieticians and rehabilitation therapists. Because many trauma patients experience multiple injuries, the trauma team works closely with many specialty physicians throughout the hospital. The Trauma Program includes liaisons from each of these specialties: •
- ACS Required Trauma Liaisons
- Anesthesia
- Critical Care
- Emergency Medicine
- Orthopedics
- Neurosurgery
- Radiology
- Pathology
- Additional Primary Children’s Hospital Trauma Liaisons
- Urology
- Vascular
- Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat)
- Plastic Surgery
- Rehabilitation
Staff who care for trauma patients in the emergency department, operating room, intensive care unit, or on the medical or surgical floor have trauma training and receive continuing education in pediatric trauma.
Discharge planning for all our patients starts on day one and takes into consideration more than the physical care of the patient. Nurse care managers and social workers are available every day to address your child’s needs when it is time to discharge home.