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 Teamincludes 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 475pediatric 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.
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
Nicklaus 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.
