Our Level I Trauma Center provides the same high level care for children as it does for adults — with one important difference: Everything is focused on caring for the highly specialized needs of children who have experienced a major trauma. It is the only trauma center in Suffolk County certified to treat the most seriously ill and injured children. The highly specialized, child-focused services include:
- The trauma team. Led by Stony Brook Children’s pediatric surgeon Richard J. Scriven, MD, the team consists of experienced trauma and pediatric critical care experts, pediatric nurse practitioners, board certified pediatric anesthesiologists, board-certified pediatric emergency physicians, respiratory therapists, technologists and other specialists.
- Specialized pediatric physician expertise available 24/7. Stony Brook Children’s has more than 180 pediatric specialists in 30 pediatric specialties. This means that if a child needs emergency bone or spine surgery, there is a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon or spine surgeon immediately available; if the child requires facial reconstruction, a pediatric plastic surgeon and pediatric oral and maxillofacial surgeon join the team; if there’s been a head trauma, pediatric neurosurgeons are at the ready. Morning or night, 365 days a year, children receive the appropriate specialized service at the appropriate time — when every second counts.
- A dedicated transport team. Stony Brook provides both air and ground transport for children who need the services of a Level I trauma center fast. En route, children are attended to by a multidisciplinary team specially trained in inter-facility transport, including emergency medicine technicians, registered nurses, respiratory therapists and paramedics. They remain in constant contact with trauma team in our Pediatric Emergency Department so that appropriate treatment can begin immediately upon arrival.
- A sophisticated PICU. Stony Brook Children’s has a 12-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) that provides the region’s most advanced, family-centered critical care to seriously injured and ill children. The PICU provides around-the-clock care that is overseen by attending pediatric intensivists (specialists in critical care for children) and delivered by a team of specially trained PICU nurses and pediatric health professionals 24/7.
- Sensitivity to the special needs of children and families. Traumas are scary enough, so we do everything in our power to provide a comfortable environment, starting at the front door. We have a separate entrance for children, which keeps them away from potentially frightening adult crises. We also provide private treatment rooms, an “ouchless” approach to tests and treatment, a separate waiting area for children and families and valet parking so parents can remain with their children.
Learn more about the pediatric emergency services and the Children’s Hospital difference here.