Trauma Services

Trauma is the leading cause of death and disability in children. Research shows that pediatric trauma patients have better outcomes when treated at a dedicated pediatric hospital. Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota has broad pediatric expertise for the evaluation, treatment, and care of children who have experienced severe and life-threatening injuries.

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Increased capabilities In Minneapolis, Children’s has dramatically increased its trauma capabilities with a new helipad and pediatric surgeon in house 24/7 to provide children more rapid access to critical care and if needed, surgery. The faster a child can be placed in the care of a pediatric specialist the more likely it is that there will be a positive outcome. For patients who are transferred to Children’s via helicopter, every minute counts. The new helipad enables quicker transport of patients to critical pediatric-specific care including Children’s new trauma center, surgery center, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

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The UnitedHealthcare Pediatric Trauma Center at Children’s - Minneapolis campus features:

	New helipad that reduces transport time and provides quicker to access to critical care
	24/7 in-house pediatric surgeon and ready access to state-of-the-art surgical suites
	Pediatric cardiovascular expertise
	Pediatric and young adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for severe lung injury
	Two new trauma bays, resuscitation room, and an orthopedic room for fractures featuring live video and x-ray capabilities

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Children’s emergency/trauma services at both our Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses features:

	Exclusively pediatric trauma center - designated level III on both campuses 24/7 pediatric orthopedic surgeon coverage
	Pediatric emergency medicine physicians on-site 24/7
	Pediatric sedation/anesthesiology available in ER
	Access to the largest team of pediatric specialists in the Upper Midwest
	New and improved facilities - from ambulance access and triage areas to trauma rooms

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Pediatric Trauma Services

Children’s pediatric trauma services offers continuous coverage by board-certified pediatric intensivists and has 40 pediatric emergency department physicians. Among the diagnoses treated by Children’s pediatric trauma services are:

Intra-thoracic trauma Vascular injuries Pulmonary injuries Cardiac contusions	Head injuries Concussions Stroke Hemorrhages	Neck trauma Penetrating injuries Tracheal injuries
Skeletal trauma Fractures Femur fractures Spinal injuries Facial fractures Facial trauma	Intra-abdominal trauma Splenic injuries Hepatic injuries Complex pancreatic injuries Bowel injuries

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Trauma Services Leadership

Melea Anderson, RN, CNP, DNP Director of trauma services	Nathan Kreykes, MD Surgical director of trauma services	David Hirschman, MD Co-medical director of trauma services

Pediatric surgeons: Glen Anderson, MD Brad Feltis, MD, PhD Nathaniel Kreykes, MD Steven Muchlstedt, MD Hampton Rich, MD David Rustad, MD David Schmeling, MD (chief of surgery) Patricia Valusek, MD David Wahoff, MD, PhD

Trauma physician assistants: Andrea Fox, PA Anne-Marie Perry, PA Hadley Powless, PA Tim Smith, PA Deborah Vogl, Lead PA Melody Zortman, PA

In addition to pediatric surgeons and trauma PNP/PAs, the Children’s pediatric trauma team includes physicians from numerous specialties, advanced practice and registered nurses, anesthesiologists, radiologists, respiratory therapists, lab technicians, pharmacists, social workers, and rehabilitation therapists all experienced in serving the special needs of injured children and their families.

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UnitedHealthcare Pediatric Trauma Center at Children’s - Minneapolis The trauma center at Children’s - Minneapolis is named for UnitedHealthcare in recognition of their $17.5 million gift to enhance trauma care for children across the region. The gift supports development of the infrastructure and expertise needed for Children’s to become a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center in the future. Watch the video at right to learn more about how this gift impacts the community.

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Making Safe Simple

We love kids here at Children's. But we'd rather see them safe at home. That's why we've gathered safety and injury-prevention tips from our very own experts. Share these tips with your kids and print them to share at their schools or with your friends. Together, we can make safe simple. Find ways to keep your kids safe at home, at play and on the way on our Making Safe Simple pages.