As one of the first Trauma Receiving Centers in Orange County, Mission Hospital has been serving our community of South Orange County, both adults and children, as an American College of Surgeons (ACS) verified Level II Trauma Center for over four decades. In June 2017, Mission Hospital was verified as a Pediatric Level II Trauma Center and became the first Pediatric Trauma Center in South Orange County.
Mission Hospital’s Trauma Program actively participates with the other three Orange County trauma centers in an effort to share best practices and elevate the care for the entire county. Mission Hospital is a member of the Orange County Trauma Program Manager Collaborative, which focuses on injury prevention, trauma registry initiatives/data management and quality improvement for trauma care across the continuum.
Mission Hospital serves a community leader in injury prevention and devotes resources annually to support public education and ultimately improve patient outcomes. We approach outreach through public and professional dissemination of education, and facilitation through our programs, as well as internal and external events, and clinical resources.
Our trauma patient data reveals the leading causes and contributing factors for our trauma injuries, and we use that data to drive the focus of our outreach efforts. We address upstream issues through trending, health disparities and our mission extends beyond our hospital doors into the community to those most vulnerable and in need. We strive to share our expertise as a Level II Trauma Center by partnering strategically with agencies, businesses, companies, facilities, organizations and the public at large.
Mission Hospital has helped to evolve the following community programs:
Teen South County Safe Rides
Serving teens across nine cities for more than two decades, Teen Safe Rides is designed to keep our teens and roadways safe and to change the mind-set among our youth about the potential consequences of driving under the influence, helping to prevent tragedies now and in the future.
Youth Alcohol and Drug Deterrence Program
For the past 23 years Mission has partnered with the South County Municipal Court system and one to offer the Youthful Alcohol and Deterrence program. The goal for this four-part program is to re-direct offenders who demonstrate a tendency towards unlawful acts or potentially harmful behaviors with a reality-based experience.
California Youth Services
The Mission Trauma team has been assisting with two California Youth Services programs for over 10 years - Juvenile Alcohol & Drug Education (JADE) and the Alternative to Suspension Program. Our dedicated trauma staff offer prevention education through real-life discussions about the current medical issues seen in our trauma bays.
Stop the Bleed
Launched in 2015 by the White House, Stop the Bleed teaches clear, uncomplicated actions to control the bleeding of an injured person when medical help is unavailable. Uncontrolled bleeding is the number one cause of preventable death from trauma. Each month, the Mission Trauma team offers a free Stop the Bleed class and has presented this class to several community groups, including school districts, city councils and CERT groups. The largest group to date was the Santa Ana Unified School District where nearly 500 staff members were trained in one day.
A Matter of Balance
Recognizing the link between senior fall prevention and trauma, the Mission Trauma team has been an active member of the Orange County Down with Falls Coalition for the past three years. Through that partnership Mission has brought the nationally-known, evidenced-based program A Matter of Balance education program to South Orange County.
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