Level I Trauma Center
St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center Emergency Department is committed to providing the highest level of care to our patients. As a tertiary care and referral center, we provided care to over 59,000 patients in 2004. Our physicians are board-certified in Emergency Medicine, and our nursing staff is certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Trauma Nurse Core Curriculum (TNCC). In addition, our Emergency Department is the only Level I Trauma Center in the state that is verified by the American College of Surgeons.
St. Joseph's leads the state annually in treating the greatest total number of the most severely injured major trauma patients. The expertise of Barrow Neurological Institute® for head and spine injury, our Children's Health Center for injured children, the Heart & Lung Institute, and the Trauma Service for multi-system major injury management draws trauma referrals from throughout Arizona and bordering states.
For over two decades, St. Joseph's has been committed to maintaining a leadership role in advancing excellence in trauma care throughout Arizona. That commitment is demonstrated by providing the resources necessary to maintain national recognition by the American College of Surgeon's (ACS) Committee on Trauma. St. Joseph's is the only ACS Level I Trauma Center in the state of Arizona. In September 2006, St. Joseph's opened a new, state-of-the-art emergency department and trauma center.
How did St. Joseph's receive its ACS Level I Trauma Center Status?
A verification process involving the preparation and submission of a formal proposal outlining how the hospital meets the national standards as well as an intense site survey. During the site survey national trauma experts review the hospital for ACS criteria associated with: hospital commitment, patient care standards, Trauma Service operations, provision of medical education, level of trauma research, organization of quality review and system improvement, outreach, and prevention.
Dr. Scott Petersen, MD, Medical Director, Trauma Services
What is Trauma?
Trauma is an injury caused by external force applied to the body. Car crashes, violent acts such as shootings and stabbings, and falls are common mechanisms of injury. Major trauma is life threatening or potentially life threatening injury. Major trauma is the leading cause of death and disability for people under age 44. The time from injury to highly specialized trauma hospital care is critical in saving lives and decreasing disabilities. Trauma Centers provide the level of care that can make the difference between life and death.
If you would like more information on our Level I Trauma Center, please call 602-406-3157.
Links to Trauma Organizations
The following websites are independent of St. Joseph's and Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) and are provided for your information. Neither St. Joseph's or CHW endorses or sponsors these sites or vouch for the information contained within these sites.
American College of Surgeons - http://www.facs.org
Western Trauma Association - http://www.westerntraumaassociation.org
Eastern Trauma Association - http://www.east.org
The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma - http://www.aast.org
American Trauma Society - http://www.amtrauma.org
Trauma Organization - http://www.trauma.org
