A serious injury can happen in an instant from a car crash, fall, burn, sports injury, workplace accident or act of violence. When every second matters, receiving the right care at the right hospital can make all the difference.
Banner Health provides complete trauma care through a network of designated trauma centers across Arizona and Wyoming. Our trauma teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to quickly evaluate, stabilize and treat people with life-threatening injuries.
Trauma care is more than emergency treatment. It is a coordinated system that brings together emergency physicians, trauma surgeons, surgical specialists, critical care physicians, nurses, rehabilitation experts, blood bank services and other specialty teams to provide care from injury through recovery.
If you or someone near you has a serious or life-threatening injury, go to the emergency room (ER) or call 911 immediately. When you call 911, emergency medical services (EMS) can take you to the trauma center best equipped to care for your injuries and begin treatment on the way to the hospital.
Trauma care is specialized emergency care for patients with serious injuries.
Trauma care may be needed for:
Call 911 immediately if someone has:
If you are injured, call 911. Do not drive yourself to the hospital. If you are with an injured person and not injured yourself, call 911 and follow directions from the operator.
Trauma centers are given levels according to the resources, specialists and services available to care for injured patients.
A Level 1 trauma center provides the highest level of trauma care for patients with the most serious injuries, including 24-hour, immediate access to trauma surgeons, surgical specialists, operating rooms, advanced imaging, blood bank services, intensive care units (ICUs) and rehabilitation resources.
Level 1 trauma centers provide care throughout every stage of recovery.
In addition to patient care, Level I trauma centers support trauma education, research and injury prevention and serve as a regional health care leader.
Level 2 trauma centers also provide comprehensive trauma care and are capable of treating many of the same serious injuries as Level I centers. The main difference is that Level 1 trauma centers have additional responsibilities for research, education, injury prevention and regional leadership.
Level 3 and Level 4 trauma centers play an essential role in providing trauma care in rural and underserved communities. They can evaluate, stabilize and treat injured patients while providing emergency surgery and critical care when appropriate.
If a patient needs a higher level of care, these centers coordinate rapid transfer to the closest Level 1 or Level 2 trauma center.
Banner Health offers designated trauma centers throughout Arizona and Wyoming.
Banner Health also operates emergency departments and trauma-designated hospitals that evaluate, stabilize and treat injured patients. When a higher level of trauma care is needed, our teams coordinate rapid transfer to the most appropriate trauma center.
When an injured person arrives at the trauma center, several steps may begin immediately and at the same time.
Depending on the patient's injuries, care may include:
Trauma care involves many specialists working together around the clock, including:
Children and teens under age 15 may need specialized trauma care because their bodies are still developing and their injuries can be different from adults.
Pediatric trauma care may include emergency medicine, pediatric specialists (including trauma surgeons), pediatric imaging teams, child life specialists and family-centered support.
When specialized pediatric trauma care is needed, Banner Health coordinates rapid transfer to the most appropriate pediatric trauma center.
Recovery continues long after the emergency has passed. Depending on the injury, patients may require:
Treating injuries is only part of our mission. Banner Health trauma programs are committed to preventing injuries through education, outreach and community partnerships.
Our injury prevention efforts include:
If you are experiencing a medical emergency or serious injury, call 911 immediately.
EMS professionals are trained to start care and transport patients to the hospital best equipped to care for their injuries.
To find a Banner Health emergency department near you, enter your ZIP code into Banner Health's emergency department location finder.
Every trauma center includes an emergency room (or department) but not every emergency department is a trauma center. Trauma centers have specially trained teams, surgical specialists and resources available around the clock to care for patients with severe injuries.
Both Level 1 and Level 2 Trauma Centers provide advanced care for seriously injured patients. Level 1 trauma centers have additional responsibilities for research, education, injury prevention and regional leadership.
In a serious emergency, EMS follows regional trauma destination guidelines and transports patients to the hospital best equipped to care for their injuries. The closest hospital may not always be the most appropriate hospital for the injury.
No. For any serious or life-threatening injury, it’s best to call 911. EMS professionals can begin treatment immediately and transport you safely to the appropriate trauma center.
Trauma care may be needed for injuries resulting from car crashes, falls, violence, severe burns, major wounds, head injuries, spinal injuries, chest or abdominal injuries and multiple serious injuries.
The emergency team will evaluate and stabilize your condition. If a higher level of trauma care is needed, they will coordinate rapid transfer to the most appropriate trauma center.
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