Trauma/ Surgical Critical Care | Environmental Center

Hackensack University Medical Center - Where medicine meets innovation

The Trauma/Surgical Critical Care and Injury Prevention Program at Hackensack University Medical Center is designated as a regional trauma center by the state of New Jersey, and The American College of Surgeons – Committee on Trauma (ACS-COT)

The program was awarded this important designation for meeting, and often exceeding, strict criteria set forth by the ACS-COT, a national agency that identifies the need for organized trauma systems throughout the country and mandates strict criteria for state designation.

The Trauma/Surgical Critical Care and Injury Prevention Program is a fully operational trauma service with policies and procedures in place for the rapid reception, assessment, diagnosis, and definitive treatment of trauma patients. It is staffed and equipped to receive patients with major life-threatening injuries 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The medical center's state-of-the-art Emil Buehler Helipad is also operational 24 hours a day, allowing Medevac helicopter access to the medical center for direct field transports as well as inter-facility transports of patients. The trauma program adheres to all New Jersey state regulations regarding on-call availability, triaging, and respecting patient’s rights to care

Injured patients benefit from a complete array of support services from many other medical center subspecialties, including surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, emergency medicine, and anesthesiology

Support services include:

The Jeffrey M. Creamer Trauma Center – which offers dedicated trauma nursing personnel, heated resuscitation area, and equipment
The Samuel Toscano, Sr. Operating Room – available and ready 24 hours a day to receive critically injured patients
Surgical Intensive Care Unit – with dedicated trauma nursing personnel, a surgical residency program, and monitoring equipment
Respiratory Therapy
Radiological services 24 hours a day – CT scan, angiography, MRI, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine
Clinical Laboratory and Blood Bank services 24 hours a day
In-house Hemodialysis
Acute Spinal Cord Injury Management
Cardiac Surgery
Hand Surgery
Microvascular/Replant Surgery
Obstetrics/Gynecologic Surgery
Ophthalmic Surgery
Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery
Plastic/Reconstructive Surgery
Thoracic Surgery
Critical Care Medicine
Rehabilitation Services – physical therapy, sports medicine, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social service, in-patient and out-patient services
Organized Performance Improvement Program
Continuing Trauma Medical Education

In keeping with our philosophy that the best treatment for injuries is prevention, we offer an array of educational programs for people of all ages to raise awareness of many leading causes of injury, and ways to avoid them. Formal community injury prevention programs include:

Traumaroo - bicycle helmet and playground safety for children in pre-kindergarten through second grade
ENCARE - drinking and driving prevention for students in junior high school and high school
TAKECARE - senior citizen safety and prevention of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) offenses
Bergen County Office of Highway Safety/HUMC Trauma Team Bicycle Helmet Campaign - a program whereby local law enforcement representatives report bicycle helmet law offenders to the medical center's Trauma Team and letters are sent to their parents reinforcing helmet safety.
Think First - head and spinal cord injury prevention for high school students
Seatbelt and Car Seat Checkpoint - members of the medical center's trauma team join local law enforcement at the designated check point site to distribute pamphlets and toys reinforcing seatbelt use
Stoned Cold: DWI reenactment video and teaching guide for high school students.
Hush Little Baby: video documentary about Shaken Baby Syndrome for parents, grandparents, babysitters, and daycare providers.

Trauma Program Coordinator

Patricia Nierstedt, RN - 551-996-2609

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Division Chief

Director, Surgical Intensive Care Unit

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Trauma Program Coordinator