Trauma Center

Delaware’s Only Level 1 Trauma Center for Kids

The Pediatric Trauma Center at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children provides specialized emergency care for sick and injured children and teens 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We’re Delaware’s only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center. That means children in the tristate area who need a higher level of trauma care can be transferred here.

The American College of Surgeons rates trauma centers from Level I to Level IV, with Level I being the highest. No matter what type or how serious the injury, at Nemours we have the experienced trauma team and state-of-the-art equipment needed to care for your injured child.

Trauma Center Services We Offer

Children with serious injuries are brought here by ground or air (ambulance or helicopter) through local emergency medical services (EMS) through a call to 911, or through the Nemours Kids Transport team at the request of another hospital or other health care facility. Our trauma team stays in contact with the teams during transport to our pediatric trauma center.

Our experienced, in-house pediatric trauma team, led by the attending surgeon (the surgeon in charge of your child's care), includes:

emergency medicine doctors
pediatric anesthesiologist
pediatric radiologist and radiology (medical imaging) technicians
critical care doctors
surgery residents (doctors training to be surgeons)
advanced practice nurses (APN), including surgical APN and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) nurses
subspecialist surgeons (as needed) in orthopedics, cardiac surgery, ophthalmology, neurosurgery, plastic surgery and otolaryngology (ears, nose and throat/ENT)
pastoral care and social work providers (to offer support as needed)

Why Choose Us for Trauma Center Care

If your child is hurt in a fall or car crash (two of the most common causes of childhood injury), prompt, specialized trauma care can make all the difference. Studies show that kids and teens have much better outcomes when they're treated in a pediatric trauma center.

At Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children we have a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center — the highest level possible. This achievement recognizes our dedication to providing the best possible, round-the-clock care for the region’s most injured children.

Regional Trauma Center Highlights

Delaware Valley/Greater Philadelphia

We offer complete Level 1 trauma care at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children (Wilmington, Del.). With access to more than 30 medical and surgical specialties, our hospital is ranked, year after year, among the best children’s hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

Injury is the No. 1 cause of death in children. Our trauma center’s mission includes providing important injury prevention programs and outreach to help educate parents and avoid injuries in kids of all ages.