A frightening car crash or a major fall could leave you or a loved one in need of care for a traumatic injury. These major, life-threatening injuries are often treated at trauma centers across California.
Bakersfield is home to one trauma center that can provide advanced and immediate care to those with severe injuries. There are also higher-level facilities in bigger cities nearby if patients require additional care.
Bakersfield Trauma Centers
Patients who suffer traumatic injuries in accidents in Bakersfield would likely be rushed to the Emergency Room at Kern Medical. Kern Medical has been a state-designated Level II trauma center since 2001. The staff treats over 3,000 trauma patients a year.
It’s in the eastern part of the city and accepts patients from across Kern County and the surrounding area. Patients in need of additional resources may be transported by air or by ambulance to other trauma centers to the north and south of Bakersfield.
Kern Medical Level II Trauma Center
Kern Medical
1700 Mount Vernon Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93306
(661) 326-2000
Fresno and Los Angeles Trauma Care Options
Fresno has the only Level I Trauma Care Facility (The Highest Level of Care) serving the Central Valley between Sacramento and Los Angeles. Victims in need of the highest level of care available in the state may be transferred to Community Regional Medical Center.
Patients will have access to the most advanced medical devices and tools in the state, and they can be placed under the care of specialized surgeons.
Table Mountain Rancheria Trauma Center at Community Regional Medical Center
Level I Trauma Center
2823 Fresno Street
Fresno, CA 93721
Some patients may be rerouted to Los Angeles County for care. You can read about the Trauma Center options in the L.A. area here.
What Is Considered a Traumatic Injury?
Traumatic injuries are generally the result of powerful impact forces, penetrating or blunt, that leave victims in need of immediate medical attention. These are severe, often life-threatening injuries caused by things like gunshots, falls, car accidents, and other serious incidents. Burn victims are also sometimes treated at trauma centers.
Victims are assessed and rushed to Trauma Centers to give them the best chance of survival. They focus on giving victims the best chance to survive and helping them avoid long-lasting consequences from injury, such as disabilities.
What Type of Hospitals Have Trauma Centers?
Trauma Centers are usually part of the Emergency Department in a hospital. They are staffed by a specially trained medical care unit of doctors and nurses. These specialized care providers also rely on the best medical equipment and resources available.
Some licensed hospitals are given the state’s “Trauma Center” designation by a Local Emergency Medical Services Agency (LEMSA). Other hospitals are designated Trauma Centers nationally by the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
The staff at trauma centers will include emergency medical specialists, including doctors, surgeons, and nurses. They may specialize in trauma surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, cardiac surgery, and other fields of medicine.
The Levels of California Trauma Centers
California officials determine which hospitals have the departments that meet the standards of state trauma centers. The highest level is a Level I trauma center. The ratings system goes from Level I to Level IV.
Bakersfield is home to a Level II trauma center, but Level II has many of the same advanced features as a Level I center. Level I centers are
- Level I and Level II trauma centers are equipped and staffed to offer the highest level of medical care. The hospitals will be home to a multidisciplinary trauma team ready to treat many different types of injuries. They have surgeons who specialize in the widest range of medical specialties.
- Level III and Level IV trauma centers generally provide initial stabilization of trauma patients. Some patients are transferred from Level III and IV to Level I & II when needed. Level III facilities generally have more advanced surgical capabilities than Level IV facilities.
- Pediatric trauma centers focus specifically on care for infants, children, and adolescents. The Level I pediatric centers require some additional pediatric specialties, research, and teaching responsibilities.
Finding Burn Centers in Bakersfield
Contact a Bakersfield Traumatic Injury Attorney
If you or a family member suffers a serious or even life-threatening injury in an accident in Kern County, schedule a free consultation with a Bakersfield Personal Injury Lawyer.
There’s no obligation, but if you decide Maison Law can help you and your family earn more in support, you won’t need any money to hire us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement you are awarded.
