Phoenix Children’s new $40 million, 42,000-square-foot Emergency Department (ED) and Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center will open to the public on Sept. 20, dramatically increasing the Hospital’s emergency and trauma care capacity while meeting the demands of Arizona’s burgeoning pediatric population.
Phoenix Children’s original ED and Trauma Center was designed to treat 22,000 children annually, but more than 83,000 patients came through its doors in the last year alone, making it one of the busiest centers nationwide. The new ED and Trauma Center – Arizona’s only American College of Surgeons (ACS) verified Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center and one of only a few in the nation – will have the capacity to accommodate 100,000 patients each year.
“Arizona’s pediatric population is exploding, and the number of children we treat is rising right along with it,” said Jared Muenzer, MD, emergency medical physician and senior vice president/chief operating officer, Phoenix Children’s Medical Group. “Traumatic injury is the number-one cause of death in children ages 1 to 16. The expanded space, physical layout of the building, and medical expertise at our new ED and Trauma Center will help us to save the lives of more children.”
The ED and Trauma Center also offers 75 private exam rooms, more than tripling the current capacity, and increases the number of trauma bays from four to nine, allowing clinicians to treat multiple trauma patients at the same time.
Moreover, the ED and Trauma Center is located directly below the helipad, placing patients just seconds away from trauma and resuscitation bays, operating rooms, critical imaging and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. A separate ambulance entrance and vestibule provide immediate access to trauma suites and all examination areas.
“Perhaps most important, patients at Phoenix Children’s have 24/7 access to our board-certified emergency medicine doctors, pediatric trauma surgeons, dedicated neuro-critical specialists and physicians in more than 75 sub-specialists, dramatically improving the odds for kids in emergency situations,” added Dr. Muenzer.
The mortality rate at Phoenix Children’s ED and Trauma Center is one of the lowest in the country. In fact, critically injured children treated at Phoenix Children’s Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center and other ACS-verified pediatric trauma centers have better outcomes, shorter lengths of stay, higher rates of managing spleen and liver injuries without surgery, and lower mortality rates.
Located at Thomas Road and State Route 51, the ED and Trauma Center is adjacent to Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s main patient tower. The new building is clearly visible from Thomas Road with dedicated surface lot parking off Thomas and Pastor Way, and a pedestrian walkway from the public garage.
Phoenix Children’s kicked off a capital campaign in 2015 to raise money for the new ED and Trauma Center. The campaign raised $40 million, including a $10 million gift from the Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation, the largest single donation ever received by the Hospital.
About Phoenix Children’s Hospital
Phoenix Children’s Hospital is Arizona’s only children’s hospital that is ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals. Phoenix Children’s provides world-class inpatient, outpatient, trauma, emergency and urgent care to children and families in Arizona and throughout the Southwest. As one of the largest children’s hospitals in the country, Phoenix Children’s provides care across more than 75 pediatric specialties. The Hospital is poised for continued growth in quality patient care, research and medical education. For more information about the hospital, visit www.phoenixchildrens.org.
