Trauma center

Level II Trauma Center in San Jose

At Regional Medical Center of San Jose, we offer patients access to a higher level of care than most emergency rooms. Our hospital is a verified Level II Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons and recognized by Santa Clara County. This means that, in addition to routine emergency care, we also care for patients facing life-threatening injuries.

Our hospital is part of the trauma care system in our community serving Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. We work hand-in-hand with local paramedics and air ambulance services so patients can receive the care they need as fast as possible.

If you or a loved one has experienced a traumatic injury, call 911.

Community resources

Falls

Falls occur frequently each year in the U.S., accounting for 3 million older adults (65 years old and older) treated in emergency departments for fall-related injuries. Over 800,000 patients each year get hospitalized for a fall related injury due to fractures or head injuries (NCOA, 2021; CDC, 2016).

Regional Medical Center’s Trauma Program, verified by the American College of Surgeons, partners with Care Star Foundation’s Stroke Fall Grant Program to bring evidence-based fall prevention programs to the diverse communities we serve. Together in this visionary partnership, our trauma team expands outreach to the public to reduce negative outcomes associated with falls and fears of falling.

Two outreach fall prevention programs offered:

• Matter of Balance (MOB) – A MOB is a fall prevention program for older adults to reduce fear of falling and promotes ways to increase activity levels. The program helps one make changes to reduce fall risks at home, and exercise to increase strength and balance. The program includes eight two-hour sessions in small groups led by two trained MOB coaches. Activities include group discussions, problem solving, roleplay activities, assertiveness training, and exercise training.
  Sign up for a Fall Prevention Class
• Bingocize – Stay tuned! Please check back for updates.

Road Safety

One of the top two mechanisms of injury are motor vehicle collisions, and in our injury prevention team, we collaborate with these nationally evidenced-based community partners. For any free community education, please reach out to the injury prevention team.

Impact Teen Driver engages, educates, and empowers teens, their influencers, and community members, including health professionals and first responders, to help stop reckless and distracted driving.

Traffic Safe Community Network Santa Clara County (TSCN) is part of our county injury prevention network. The TSCN is a unique collaborative of traffic safety and active transportation stakeholders. For over 20 years, TSCN partners have addressed motor vehicle crashes, a leading cause of unintentional injury and death.

Safe Routes -- The City of San José takes traffic safety seriously. In 2015, we became the fourth U.S. city to officially adopt a Vision Zero initiative. Vision Zero aims to reduce and eventually eliminate traffic deaths and severe injuries. From improving our roadways with new safety measures to community engagement, we strive to make San José streets safer for walkers, rollers and bicyclists.

Community Partnership

Trauma to Triumph

We partnered with the City of San Jose to spread the word about Trauma to Triumph, a Parks and Recreation Department program that helps victims of violence.

Whenever we receive a trauma patient who is a victim of violence between 12 and 30 years old, a member of our trauma team approaches and tells them about Trauma to Triumph. It is a program run through the City of San Jose Parks and Recreation Department to provide community resources. The goal is to provide individual and family assessment services while aiming to reduce violence, foster hope and prevent retaliation.

Interventionalists from New Hope for Youth follow the participants for up to a year providing educational and vocational training, career/job placement, GED preparation and other resources.

Hear from our former patient Yelson, who was helped by the program.

To learn about the program, you can visit

Youth Intervention | City of San Jose (sanjoseca.gov)

Ginger Miramontes, Regional Medical Center

Injury Prevention/Trauma Coordinator (408) 259-5000 ext.3082

Trauma services

Our trauma center is an extension of our 43-bed emergency room. The trauma center has its own four-bed resuscitation bay where patients are assessed and treatment begins. Our trauma experts provide quick and accurate diagnoses so patients can be stabilized as soon as possible.

After initial evaluation in the trauma center, patients may be taken to our imaging department for closer evaluation. If needed, patients have access to our operating room for surgery and intensive care unit (ICU) for critical care and close monitoring.

Our operating room is specially designated for patients with traumatic injuries who require immediate surgical intervention. All of our hospital's trauma resources are available 24/7, including our diagnostic laboratory, imaging department and blood bank.

Hospital trauma team

Upon arrival at our Level II Trauma Center, patients are cared for by a multidisciplinary team, including:

• Case managers
• Neurosurgeons
• Orthopedic traumatologists
• Physical therapists
• Plastic surgeons
• Respiratory therapists
• Social workers
• Trauma nurses
  
• Trauma surgeons
• Vascular surgeons

Our trauma experts and subspecialists work together to coordinate appropriate care for every patient. Our doctors, nurses and support staff are committed to decreasing traumatic injury mortality rates in our communities.

Community trauma team

We work with community emergency medical services (EMS) providers to deliver seamless care for patients during transport to our trauma center. Our emergency services personnel coordinates with the trauma center to identify patients who should be brought directly to the resuscitation bay.

We are committed to providing the best care to our patients, which is why we partner with local:

• Air and ground ambulance providers
• Fire departments
• Military personnel
• Police

Our hospital works with CALSTAR air ambulances to transport patients from six surrounding communities. We also have the only helipad in the Bay Area that is certified by the Coast Guard for Black Hawk (a military transport helicopter) air ambulance landings.