Level One Trauma Center

MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital (SJCH) is the first and only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center in the state of South Carolina. As an ACS-verified Level I pediatric trauma center with a comprehensive burn program, we are uniquely qualified to provide emergency care for all injured patients, from infants to adolescents, serving as the regional referral center for pediatric emergencies. 

Our center provides a full range of emergency diagnostic and treatment services for acutely ill and injured patients by expertly trained pediatric providers. Lead by fellowship trained pediatric surgeons, our program is supported by board certified pediatric emergency medicine physicians and a wide range of pediatric sub-specialists including pediatric neurosurgery, orthosurgery, anesthesia, physical medicine, and rehabilitation, radiology, and psychiatry. Our multidisciplinary approach allows us to provide trauma patients with exceptional comprehensive care to achieve optimal outcomes.

What Does a Level One Trauma Center Mean for You?

Children require a different set of clinical skills, knowledge, and experience than adult patients, which is why a pediatric trauma center is the best place to treat your injured child. With expertise from pediatric trauma surgeons, nurses, and other healthcare providers available 24/7, and state of the art equipment and procedures designed with children in mind, we deliver the most efficient and effective care that your child needs. And better care means better outcomes.

The SJCH pediatric trauma experts are involved in all aspects of care from injury prevention, pre-hospital, emergency department, operative management, inpatient care and rehabilitation, as well as follow up through our multiple surgery clinics. We also provide services that go beyond the traditional scope of medical care, including trauma social work services, the Child Life Program, Trauma Resiliency & Recovery Program, and Injury Prevention Program. From the design of the emergency department and clinical care units to our highly skilled professionals who understand the special needs of younger, smaller patients, we are able to meet the needs of children and their caregivers at the hospital and in the communities we serve.

What is Trauma?

Trauma is a type of injury that can cause wounds, broken bones, or organ damage. Injuries such as falling off a bike, heal with simple treatments like stitches. Other forms of trauma, including injuries from car crashes and penetrating wounds, can be life-threatening.

At MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, we provide the highest level of care for any form of trauma, including:

• Broken bones
• Large cuts and open wounds
• Lung injuries, including a punctured lung
• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal cord injury