Children's Hospital of Illinois surgery waiting area

Pediatric Trauma Center

At OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, your child has access to the region’s only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center and the highest level of emergency care designed just for kids.

Whether it’s a broken bone or a life-threatening injury, our pediatric trauma team is here for you 24/7. You can trust that your child is in expert hands with specialists who know how to care for growing bodies.

What is considered children’s trauma?

Pediatric trauma refers to serious injuries such as falls, car crashes, sports or abuse in children and teenagers. This type of trauma affects the brain, bones, internal organs and more. A pediatric trauma program is dedicated to delivering fast, expert treatment tailored to kids’ unique medical and emotional needs.

What to Expect at Your Visit

If your child is brought to our emergency department (ED) with a traumatic injury, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed or scared. From the second you arrive, our pediatric trauma team will act quickly, focusing on your child’s immediate needs while making sure you understand what’s happening every step of the way.

If your child needs surgery or intensive care, our operating rooms and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) are just steps away.

Meet Your Care Team

When you come through our doors, you and your child will be surrounded by pediatric trauma experts who know how to provide exceptional care while helping children and their loved ones feel safe, supported and at ease. That includes:

Board-certified pediatric trauma surgeons, emergency medicine physicians and critical care doctors available 24/7
Nurses and anesthesiologists trained to work exclusively with children
Pediatric specialists in orthopedics, neurosurgery, cardiovascular surgery, urology and more
Support services from pastoral care, social workers, counselors and child life specialists

See Our Providers

Subspecialty Surgical Services We Provide

As part of our children’s trauma center, your child has access to expert surgical care across specialties, including

Anesthesiology
Cardiovascular surgery
Dentistry
Neurosurgery
Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Orthopaedic surgery
Otolaryngology (ENT)
Pediatric general and thoracic surgery
Pediatric urological surgery
Radiology

Some of the most serious injuries we treat are also among the most preventable. At OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois, we’re committed not only to expert trauma care, but also to helping families reduce the risk of serious injury before it happens. Two leading causes of severe injury and death in children and adolescents are firearm injuries and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accidents.

Below are key safety considerations and trusted resources to help keep children safer.

Firearm Safety and Injury Prevention

Firearm injuries are a leading cause of death and serious injury among children and adolescents in the United States. Non-fatal firearm injuries can also result in long-term physical, emotional and financial consequences for children and families.

The greatest risk factor for pediatric firearm injury is unsecured firearms in the home. Children are naturally curious and may not understand the danger, even if they have been taught not to touch a firearm.

Safe firearm storage saves lives. Best practices include:

Storing firearms unloaded
Keeping firearms locked at all times
Storing ammunition locked and in a separate location
Using safety devices such as cable locks, trigger locks, lockboxes or gun safes

Taking these steps significantly reduces the risk of unintentional injuries, suicides and firearm-related trauma involving children.

Learn more from trusted sources:

ATV Safety and Injury Prevention

Thousands of children are injured or killed each year in ATV accidents. While many children are eager to ride or drive ATVs, these vehicles are powerful, heavy and difficult to control, especially for young riders.

Without proper supervision, training and safety equipment, ATV crashes can lead to serious injuries, including head trauma, spinal injuries and broken bones. Rollovers and collisions are common causes of severe harm.

Because children may lack the size, strength and judgment to operate ATVs safely, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly encourages:

Age-appropriate vehicles only
Mandatory helmet use
No passengers
No riding on paved roads
Hands-on safety training and close supervision

Following these guidelines can greatly reduce the risk of life-altering injuries.

ATVs Are Not Safe for Children: AAP Policy Explained (HealthyChildren.org)

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Saint Francis Medical Center Life Flight helicopter landing

Critical Care Transport for Pediatric Trauma

If your child has a traumatic injury and needs a higher level of care, our critical care transport team coordinates safe, timely transport by ground from other hospitals. If your child is coming directly from the scene where the accident occurred, local EMS or LifeFlight will typically transport them.

No matter how your child arrives, our teams stay closely connected. All transport teams communicate directly with our trauma, ICU and emergency department providers, ensuring care begins even before your child reaches the hospital. Our operating room teams are available 24/7, ready to respond to injuries at any level.

Discover Our Transport Team