The Palomar UC San Diego Health Orthopedic Trauma team provides expert care for all aspects of traumatic musculoskeletal injuries, including inpatient and outpatient orthopedic surgical care, rehabilitation and orthotics and prosthetics.
For nearly 25 years, Palomar UC San Diego Health has served the needs of gravely injured people in South Riverside and Northern San Diego County at its designated Trauma Center at Palomar UC San Diego Health Escondido. It is one of six such facilities throughout San Diego County, and receives more than 1,000 patients a year from an 800-plus square mile area who have sustained serious physical injuries from an external force.
Leading the Region in Trauma Care
As a Level II Trauma Center, Palomar UC San Diego Health Escondido satisfies strict guidelines set by the American College of Surgeons and the County of San Diego, including the dedication of resources – specially trained physicians and nurses and state-of-the-art equipment – for the management of trauma patients throughout all aspects of their care, including resuscitation, acute care and rehabilitation.
Our 24 hour on-call team includes:
- Board Certified Orthopedic Traumatologists
- Trauma Surgeons
- Emergency Room Physicians
- Orthopedic Surgeons
- Neurosurgeons
- Plastic Surgeons
- Reconstructive Surgeons
- A dedicated trauma teams of nurses, therapists and anesthesiologists are always on call to treat various combined bone and soft tissue problems and to achieve improved outcomes and fewer complications.
As a non-profit community hospital district, Palomar UC San Diego Health continues its long-standing dedication to treating all patients who are in need of care, regardless of their ability to pay.
Hip Fracture Repair
Implementing a hip fracture pathway to improve patient outcomes hip fractures for seniors can be extremely painful. Without proper treatment, hip fractures can lead to a rapid loss of independence and mobility, and even a high rate of mortality.
Speed is the Key
Our goal is to diagnose the fracture quickly so we can reduce the patient’s pain. Then we follow evidence-based guidelines that advance the patient through their care plan, including surgery within 24 hours if necessary. Improved patient outcomes:
- Better pain control
- Early return to activity
- Avoid adverse events (e.g., infections, falls, readmissions, revision surgery)
- Satisfied patients and family members
Rapid Recovery Protocol
The care team involves everyone along the continuum, including emergency physicians, anesthesiologists, hospitalists, orthopedic surgeons, nurses, pharmacists and therapists.
2022 Fracture & Repair Outcomes
In 2022, Palomar UC San Diego Health hospitals saw an average of one or more patients arriving with hip fractures per day, totaling 396 patients per year. With an average age of 78.5 years, Palomar UC San Diego Health’s hip fracture patients typically arrive with significantly more co-morbidities compared to other patients, placing them at a higher risk for unfavorable outcomes. This risk is further compounded by the physiological impact of the hip fracture and the stress of surgical procedures. Notably, 17% of hip fracture patients had dementia on admission, in contrast to only 7% of the medical group.
This data underscores the critical impact of Palomar UC San Diego Health’s Hip Fracture Pathway, designed to provide hip fracture patients with streamlined and specialized care, in improving patient care and reducing opioid usage in this demographic. In 2022, thanks to Palomar UC San Diego Health’s Hip Fracture Pathway, Palomar UC San Diego Health’s Orthopedic and Spine Center reported a remarkable 20% reduction in opioid use among patients.
To view the full 2022 Orthopedic Outcomes Report, please click here.