There is one local trauma center serving Stockton and San Joaquin County. Patients with major injuries can be taken to the Level II Trauma Center at San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp.
There’s more information below on what kind of patients need Trauma Center care and where other local Trauma Centers are located.
Where Will I Be Taken After a Traumatic Injury in San Joaquin County?
Trauma centers are designed to go beyond the care that emergency room doctors can offer. They provide access to specialized surgeons and cutting-edge medical devices to give victims with major injuries the best chance to survive.
In San Joaquin County, the only Trauma Center is located near Stockton. It’s part of the San Joaquin General Hospital Emergency Department. Surgical specialists in trauma, neurosurgery, vascular, thoracic, anesthesia, and orthopedic surgery are on-call at all times. Specially trained trauma nurses are also ready to assist patients 24/7.
San Joaquin General Hospital
Level II Trauma Center
San Joaquin General Hospital
500 W Hospital Rd
French Camp, CA 95231
(209) 468-6000
https://www.sanjoaquingeneral.org/trauma
This Level II Trauma Center can offer life-saving care to local patients, but the staff here can also assess patients and decide they’ll need additional care from a Level I trauma center. San Joaquin General Hospital can transfer patients by helicopter to other trauma centers in the area.
What is a California Trauma Center?
Trauma centers are extensions of emergency departments where those with traumatic, life-threatening injuries, can get immediate care. They are staffed with specialized surgeons and nurses who can take action quickly to give victims the best chance of survival. The equipment available in a trauma center will be the most advanced available.
A frightening rear-end accident on I-5 or a head-on collision along Highway 4 might leave you or a loved one in desperate need of medical care. Car accident victims in San Joaquin County with the most serious injuries will be rushed to trauma centers where they can get the most advanced care available. You or your loved ones may need to know where the closest trauma centers are in case of a devastating car accident or any other life-threatening harm.
Patients may also be suffering from blunt-force trauma injuries caused by a traffic accident or by a fall from a great height. Burn victims, gunshot victims, and stabbing victims will usually be rushed to the nearest trauma team. A patient brought in after a serious accident may be in surgery within minutes of arrival.
Trauma centers are grouped into categories according to the level of care they provide. They are designated on a scale of either I, II, III, or IV, with I being the highest certification a trauma center can be assigned.
California uses this level system to designate the type of trauma care available at each center. These are defined by the California Local Emergency Medical Services Authority (LEMSA).
Level I and level II trauma centers are equipped and staffed to offer the highest level of medical care. They have similar medical professionals and resources with the greatest difference being that level I’s are research and teaching facilities.
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.
Other Trauma Centers in the Area for San Joaquin County Victims
In some cases, Stockton’s Level II trauma center may not have the resources to properly treat a patient with certain traumatic injuries.
Stockton victims may be flown to Level I or II trauma centers in other cities if they can receive more specialized care elsewhere. These are a few of the trauma centers that may treat local victims:
- Fresno’s Level I Table Mountain Rancheria Trauma Center at Community Regional Medical Center.
- Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Level I Trauma Center in San Jose.
- The Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Level I Trauma Center.
- Doctors Medical Center Level II Trauma Center in Modesto
- Memorial Medical Center Level II Trauma Center in Modesto
