When a child is traumatically injured, every life-saving second counts. We are very proud that CHW's Northridge Hospital Medical Center is now the first hospital in the San Fernando Valley with a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center that provides immediate care to infants, children and adolescents with life-threatening traumatic injuries 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. The Pediatric Trauma Team aims to provide medical treatment within the Platinum 30 Minutes—known as the first critical half hour when treatment increases the chance of survival. (This critical time period is 60 minutes for adults—known as the Golden Hour—but is reduced to 30 minutes for a fragile child.)
Legislation to establish the initial funding was first introduced by District 7 Councilmember Richard Alarcon through a bill he sponsored when he served as a State Senator. He lost his infant son in a vehicle accident; Richie Alarcon’s transport out of the Valley extended beyond the Platinum 30 Minutes. He died in his father’s arms the next day. When Alarcon’s legislation sunseted, Senator Alex Padilla (20th District) continued working to get the bill passed. The LA County Board of Supervisors then provided the initial $2 million funding for start up costs to launch the center with the leadership of LA County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, 3rd District.
Read more at the Los Angeles Daily News, NBC Los Angeles, or ABC News.
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