The nationally recognized Level 1 Trauma Center at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas, is the only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center in the state of Arkansas. Our leading-edge team of trauma professionals provide 24/7 care to the children of Arkansas and beyond – including five surrounding states. Designated a Level 1 Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons, Arkansas Children’s Hospital offers a systematic approach to ensure comprehensive and optimum care of every injured child, including infants, toddlers, children and adolescents.

Our multifaceted approach to pediatric trauma care allows us to provide much-needed emergency care as well as ongoing education and prevention for both patients and their families. Our Trauma services consist of both medical and surgical specialties, including:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Burn specialists
  • Cardiothoracic surgery
  • Critical care medicine
  • ENT or otolaryngology
  • Emergency medicine
  • General surgery
  • Internal medicine
  • Neurosurgery
  • Ophthalmology
  • Oral and maxillofacial surgery
  • Orthopedic surgery
  • Pediatric surgery
  • Plastic surgery
  • Radiology
  • Rehabilitation
  • Urology

A Level I Trauma Center is a comprehensive regional resource that is a tertiary care facility providing total care for every aspect of injury. Comprehensive care means that our team is able to care for patients from time of injury through discharge, including rehabilitation and follow-up care. Our verified Level I Trauma Center meets strict national requirements, including:

  • 24-hour in-house coverage by our pediatric trauma services team
  • A comprehensive quality assessment program
  • An organized teaching and research effort to help direct new innovations in trauma care
  • Continuing education of the trauma team members
  • Leadership in prevention and public education to surrounding communities
  • Minimum requirements for annual volume of severely injured patients
  • Referral resource for communities in nearby states
Arkansas Children’s provides a specialized weekly clinic to meet the needs of pediatric trauma patients that may require the services of other areas of our expansive healthcare system. For more information about our comprehensive services across a range of pediatric specialties, please contact us for appointments at 501-364-1446 or at our office at 501-364-4439.
For more information or for help with a trauma referral, please contact our highly-trained specialists and staff at Arkansas Children’s Trauma Services at our office at 501-364-4439 or fax referrals to 501-364-3383.

Check Symptoms

Medical Director

Possible Conditions

Board-certified and fellowship-trained trauma surgeons and physicians at Arkansas Children’s Trauma Services treat a diverse range of emergency conditions in infants, toddlers, children and adolescents, including:

  • Orthopedic injuries (includes long bone and spine)
  • Soft tissue injuries requiring reconstructive surgery
  • Thoracic and abdominal injuries
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Although rare in children, additional conditions we treat in our paediatric trauma services include:

  • Airway injuries
  • Hand re-implantation
  • Lung injuries, requiring cardiopulmonary bypass or ECMO support
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Vascular injuries requiring reconstruction

Meet the Team

Through a multidisciplinary approach for comprehensive trauma care, our team provides expert diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation for a range of traumatic conditions. Our surgeons and physicians are fellowship-trained and board-certified.

Trauma Nurses

Trauma Services Office

  • Kelli (KB) Coatney – Trauma Coordinator
  • Sara Silverman – Trauma Coordinator
  • Katerra Westfall - Trauma Registrar
  • Tiffanie Threet – Trauma Registrar
  • Laura Jones – Injury Prevention Specialist
  • Carol Rangel – Trauma Research Coordinator
  • Sunny Worthington – Trauma Administrative Assistant
  • Kathy Dyck – Trauma Program Manager

 

Location

Latest Advancements in Diagnostic Testing and Treatment

To determine the underlying diagnosis and treat each pediatric patient, our skilled trauma specialists use a range of specialized techniques and procedures, including:

  • Complex orthopedic and spine reconstruction
  • Comprehensive in-house rehabilitation services
  • Emergency operations for life-threatening injuries
  • Microvascular re-implantation
  • Pediatric Critical Care services with advance neurological monitoring
  • Plastics and craniofacial reconstruction

Major Contributions in Pediatric Trauma Research

Our pediatric trauma surgeons and physicians at Arkansas Children’s are actively increasing the capacity to serve children and families throughout Arkansas and beyond. With a focus on scholarly research, our team is defining national standards of care for pediatric injuries. Through our findings, fellowship-trained pediatric specialists provide the latest education and training efforts that improve the skills of community providers across diverse professions. In addition, we help educate parents and families to prevent injuries before they occur.

Evidence-based Research Programs

Our trauma specialists use an evidence-based tool, Screening and Brief Intervention and Referral for Treatment (SBIRT), which identifies at-risk teens for unsafe behavior such as substance or alcohol abuse. In addition, our expert team at Arkansas Children’s is leading the way in research for the treatment of solid organ injury.

Educational Opportunities for Trauma Prevention

Our dedicated team at Arkansas Children’s Level 1 Trauma Services are specially trained in trauma and injury. Working closely with the Injury Prevention Center to identify trends and offer specific education to populations in need, our focus is on education to prevent serious injuries.

In addition, we work diligently to define national standards for pediatric injuries through our research and national grants. Across the wide spectrum of diseases and injuries, we focus on education and resources for both routine and very complex trauma and injury.

Clinical Pathways

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