Trauma Center
Our Approach
When a serious injury happens, every minute matters. Providence Mission Hospital is home to South Orange County’s only American College of Surgeons (ACS) verified Level II Trauma Center for both adults and children, providing comprehensive trauma care close to home. Our award-winning team is available 24/7 to treat serious injuries, delivering coordinated, life-saving care from the critical first hour of injury through recovery and follow-up.
We support patients of all ages at every stage of healing while also serving our community through injury prevention education and free safety programs.
View our Annual Trauma Report for outcomes and program highlights.As a Level II Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center, Providence Mission Hospital is prepared to treat the most critical injuries right away. We’re staffed and equipped 24/7 with the resources needed for life-threatening emergencies.
Each year, our dedicated trauma specialists care for more than 4,500 adult and pediatric trauma patients in the Gotschall Family Trauma Pavilion. We’re here for your entire family.
We support you from admission through discharge, including:
- Anesthesia
- Cardiothoracic surgery
- Critical care
- Education
- ENT surgery
- Gastrointestinal surgery
- General and trauma surgery
- Genitourinary surgery
- Gynecology
- Maxillofacial surgery
- Neurosurgery
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopedic surgery
- Pharmacology
- Plastic surgery
- Radiology
- Rehabilitation services
- Vascular surgery
We meet the highest national standards set by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS-COT) and the County of Orange Health Care Agency. Our team is committed to providing initial evaluation and definitive care for Orange County trauma patients – no matter how severe the injury.
EMS teams are often a trauma patient’s first line of care. We work closely with first responders to ensure a smooth, fast handoff from the ambulance to our trauma bay.
For more than 40 years, Providence Mission Hospital has built strong relationships with EMS providers across South Orange County. This partnership supports clear communication and better coordination when patients need urgent care.
- Disaster readiness: We participate in the Orange County disaster plan and support hospital-wide training so frontline teams are prepared to respond during a disaster.
- Regional Emergency Advisory Committee (REAC) collaboration: Our trauma team participates in REAC meetings to share updates, provide education and learn from pre-hospital providers.
No parent wants to imagine their child getting hurt. If it happens, families deserve expert care in a child-focused setting close to home. That’s why we partnered with Rady Children’s Health to create Rady Children’s Hospital at Mission—the only Pediatric Level II Trauma Center in South Orange County and north San Diego County.
Fast treatment matters, especially during the “golden hour” (the first hour after an injury). Children also need care designed for their size, development, and comfort. Our pediatric trauma team includes award-winning nurses, surgeons and technicians focused on helping kids heal and get back to daily life.
Rady Children’s Hospital at Mission is a 54-bed, separately licensed pediatric hospital with its own dedicated medical staff and services, including:
- 8-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for critically ill or injured children
- 24-bed medical/surgical unit for children who need to stay in the hospital for illness, injury, or surgery
- Child life specialists
- Hospitalists and neonatologists on site 24/7
- Pediatric subspecialists
- Registered nurses
As an American College of Surgeons (ACS) verified Trauma Center for adults and children, Providence Mission Hospital provides high-quality trauma care for patients from newborns through adults. We combine clinical expertise with family-centered support to help families move forward with confidence.
Our trauma team is ready 24/7 to provide fast, expert care. You’re cared for by trauma surgeons and a full range of surgical specialists, supported by trauma-trained nurses and teams like radiology, lab and surgical services.
From the moment you arrive, we focus on:
- Rapid testing: We can perform the tests you need to quickly assess injuries and start treatment.
- Coordinated support: Our team works together to keep care moving safely from evaluation to treatment.
If you have any questions regarding trauma care or services, call us at the number at the top of the page.
Providence Mission Hospital is committed to life-saving trauma care – and to improving it every day. One way we do that is by maintaining a strong trauma registry.
A trauma registry is a secure database that tracks key information about trauma patients and their care. It may include patient demographics, injury details, treatments provided, length of stay and outcomes.
We use our trauma registry to strengthen care by:
- Reporting key statistics and outcomes
- Tracking trends over time
- Identifying opportunities to improve our systems and processes
- Supporting performance improvement and quality reviews
- Helping clinicians compare care approaches and follow best practices
Providence Mission submits trauma data to the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB), the largest trauma database in the U.S. We also participate in the ACS Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP), which helps trauma centers compare results and improve care.
Some of the measures we track include:
- Blood product use and delivery
- Care for open fractures
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) care
We also work closely with the other designated Orange County trauma centers to share best practices and improve countywide care. Providence Mission participates in the Orange County Trauma Program Manager Collaborative, focused on:
- Injury prevention
- Quality improvement across the trauma care continuum
- Trauma registry initiatives and data management
Find a Doctor
Get access to our vast network of dedicated and compassionate providers who offer personalized care by focusing on treatment, prevention and health education.
Recognition
For more than 40 years, Providence Mission Hospital’s Trauma Center has delivered award-winning, patient-focused care for South Orange County and north San Diego County. We help trauma patients of all ages return to the lives they love. Our adult and pediatric Level II Trauma Center has earned national recognition from multiple organizations for quality and safety.
Trauma nurses are a vital part of our team, providing care from admission through discharge. Each trauma nurse brings strong critical care experience, including time in the surgical ICU or emergency department. Their dedication to patients – and to ongoing education – has also been recognized at the national level.
U.S. News & World Report - High Performing Hospital in Hip Fracture (2026-27)
American College of Surgeons - Level II Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center
Injury Prevention
We believe the best way to reduce trauma is to prevent injuries before they happen. That’s why we use our trauma registry data to create safety education and programs – targeting our community’s most common injuries and those most at risk.