A traumatic injury refers to physical injuries of sudden onset and severity which require immediate medical interventions to save life and limb. Traumatic injuries could result from motor vehicle crashes, sports injuries, falls, natural disasters and a many other physical injuries.

The San Diego County Trauma System is a successful public-private partnership between the County of San Diego and six designated Trauma Centers.  The trauma system serves 3.3 million residents covering over 4,500 square miles. All trauma centers maintain their verification level through the American College of Surgeons and the County of San Diego.

• Palomar Medical Center - Level II
• Scripps Memorial Hospital-La Jolla - Level I
• Scripps Mercy Hospital-Hillcrest - Level I
• Sharp Memorial Hospital - Level II
• Rady Children’s Hospital - Pediatric Level I
• UC San Diego Medical Center - Level I

In 1984, the County of San Diego Trauma System was developed and became one of the first coordinated, multi-center trauma systems established in the United States, and remains a nationally recognized model.

Rapid assessment by pre-hospital providers and a robust system in delivering patients to the appropriate facility contributes to the success of saving lives.

Over 12,000 patients are treated in the CoSD trauma care system annually.  The CoSD trauma system continues to strive for Zero Preventable Deaths through performance improvement and injury prevention activities.