Northridge Hospital Opens First Pediatric Trauma Center

Northridge Hospital Medical Center is the first facility in the San Fernando Valley region to have a certified pediatric trauma center. The hospital added pediatric trauma services to its Level II Trauma Center and officially opened its doors to child trauma patients on Oct. 4. The hospital held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the center on Oct. 1 and a silent auction and reception fundraiser on Oct. 2. The new center, which is staffed with pediatric surgeons and subspecialists, is the only facility in the San Fernando Valley region designated by the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Systems Agency. The center comes after years of work by elected officials to fund the project through legislation. While the idea of having a pediatric trauma center in the San Fernando Valley has been circulating for about a decade, the hospital has worked on official plans over the past couple of years, said Michael Wall, the hospital’s president and CEO. “We’re going to make this resource available,” he said. “This is huge in terms of providing an essential needed service to the children for the entire San Fernando Valley and beyond.” The center was greatly needed in the region, where child trauma patients previously had to be flown to hospitals in Los Angeles and Hollywood to receive the proper treatment, Wall said. He added that having a local center allows children to be treated at an equipped institution within the “Platinum 30,” or within first 30 minutes of the injury, which increases chances of survival. State bill About $2.5 million in funding for the center became available after Los Angeles Councilman Richard Alarcón introduced a bill during his time in the Senate. The bill allowed counties to levy additional fines and dedicate 15 percent of the incoming money directly into a fund called “Richie’s Fund” to support pediatric trauma care centers. The fines levied were those collected from criminal violations that contribute to traumatic injuries for children, including speeding and domestic assault. Alarcón’s action was inspired by his son who died as an infant years ago after he was in a car accident and had to be airlifted from the San Fernando Valley to a hospital in Hollywood. After the bill passed in 2006, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to add an additional fine, through which it allocated 15 percent of the money to trauma care services. Senator Alex Padilla later extended the life of the bill to the end of 2013, and Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield helped Northridge Hospital Medical Center secure state licenses to host the center, Alarcon said. Hospitals approached Alarcón had approached several large hospitals in the region about the prospect of adding a pediatric trauma center. Northridge Hospital Medical Center was the one that stepped up. “They were willing to do it. It took a significant commitment and investment from them,” he said, adding that continued funding from the county will eventually phase out and the hospital will have to become self-sustaining. Alarcon said the location of the Northridge site is ideal for the center since the hospital was able to contract pediatric surgeons from UCLA Medical Center in Westwood to work on-call. Because many of the surgeons live in areas such as Sherman Oaks, Encino and Northridge, Alarcón said they are available to respond to trauma patients within a 30-minute time frame. So far, the hospital has contributed about $1 million of its own money and resources to the center over the last couple of years. The hospital’s officials plan to use future public assistance and fundraising to keep the center going, Wall said.