Trauma Services

The only freestanding pediatric trauma center in South Florida.

Verified by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma as a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center and the only hospital in South Florida to achieve Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center verification.

ambulance entrace to the trauma center
ambulance entrace to the trauma center

The Miguel "Mike" B. Fernandez Family Pediatric Trauma Center at Nicklaus Children's Hospital Emergency Department is one of only two freestanding pediatric trauma centers in the state of Florida and the only freestanding pediatric trauma center in South Florida.

The Trauma Center serves children from birth to under 16 years of age, with outstanding outcomes. Most patients are victims of falls or motor vehicle accidents, and have sustained fractures or head injuries. The Trauma Center currently includes four trauma treatment bays within the Emergency Department capable of treating up to 8 traumatically injured patients.

Support Hospital Wide

The Trauma Team includes multidisciplinary healthcare  professionals throughout Nicklaus Children's Hospital. The Operating Room and Recovery Room teams are often instrumental in providing life-saving and restorative treatment.

The 40-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit provides sustained treatment and oversight for children once they are stabilized by the trauma team for patients that require intensive monitoring. In addition to the ICU and OR, inpatient medical surgical units provide care for patients that are less critical. Nicklaus Children's is home to more than 475 pediatric subspecialists representing virtually every pediatric subspecialty. Many of these physicians have national and international reputations and are available to consult in the care of complex cases.

rainbow graphic with trauma stats

Classes and Programs to Promote Children's Well-Being

The Trauma Services Department offers a number of classes and programs to promote the well-being of children in our community.

  • Sport Injury prevention workshops for parents and coaches of young athletes
  • Court-ordered child passenger restraint course (C.R.O.P.)
  • Safe Sitter Program (16-hour program that instructs teens in caring for small children)
  • First aid
  • Safe Transport of Children with Special Needs, offering assistance in the selection of safety seats for proper fit and installation, and appropriateness for child’s overall passenger safety needs. Sponsored by the Florida Department of Transportation.
  • Safety health fairs (offered on campus and on location)

STOP THE BLEED®

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital offers STOP THE BLEED® training for area schools and other interested groups. Stop the Bleed is a curriculum developed by the American College of Surgeons to prepare individuals to respond to bleeding injuries. The number one cause of preventable death after injury is bleeding.
This training can help school or camp leaders be prepared to respond to a bleeding victim. Course participants will learn how to recognize life-threatening bleeding and to control it quickly and effectively, using three core techniques.

Due to the current pandemic, these courses can only be offered virtually or in an environment that allows for physical distancing and other safety provisions, at this time.

For more information or to request instruction, please call 786-624-4640.

Injury Prevention Programs

logoNicklaus Children's Hospital is the Proud Lead Organization for the Miami-Dade County SAFE KIDS Coalition. The Miami-Dade County SAFE KIDS Coalition is comprised of public, private and voluntary organizations united and committed to identify and significantly reduce unintentional deaths and injuries to the children of South Florida. We respond to the needs of our community by providing professional education, practical training programs, and legislative initiatives essential to promote the safety and wellbeing of our children.

Learn More
featured patient photo.
featured patient photo.

Stories to Inspire

Seeing a baby boy intubated, hooked up to a maze of machines, and with IV pumps snaking out of his tiny arms is an incredibly heartbreaking and terrifying experience. The Nicklaus Children’s staff was not only caring and friendly, but knowledgeable and explained everything to us in detail. Meeting the neurosurgery team brought us great comfort because they were confident and calm—they won our trust immediately.
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Awards & Associations