Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burns

The Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Burns was established in response to the changing important role that the Department of Surgery plays in providing care to the critically ill and injured in the surrounding communities and region. By consolidating pre-hospital EMS with an in-hospital trauma and surgical critical care service, the Department of Surgery provides continuity for clinical care, teaching, and research within a single academic and administrative entity. The Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Burns includes the Section of Trauma, the Section of Surgical Critical Care, and the Section of Burns.

The Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care & Burns provides provides comprehensive services in state-of-the-art resuscitation and intensive care units for patients of all ages with acute surgical illness or injury. These problems may be treated  in conjunction with a variety of medical specialties including pediatrics, internal medicine, toxicology, surgery, wound care, orthopedics, obstetrics, gynecology, neurology, ophthalmology, ENT or psychiatry. When indicated, specialty consultation is obtained on an emergency basis after evaluation by the trauma/surgical critical care team.

The provision of quality education in emergency care requires the active participation of faculty with interest and expertise in the field. The division is fortunate to have highly qualified physicians who have distinguished themselves in trauma, surgical critical care, and burns not only locally, but also regionally, nationally, and internationally. Each faculty member has a special area of interest; collectively, they provide complimentary expertise throughout the broad field of trauma and critical care. In addition to providing timely and high quality emergency care, the Division of Trauma has a strong commitment to the education of residents, medical students, nurses, and pre-hospital providers, as well as to the continuing education of practicing physicians. By offering the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course, Advanced Trauma Operative Management (ATOM) course, and providing quality care in the area of resuscitation, operative care, and critical care, the influence of the division and its faculty is widely felt throughout the medical center, the region, and the state.

The quality of care provided to the critically ill and injured is in large part due to a well-developed surgical critical care service.  Patients in the Intensive Care Units are co-managed by the members of the Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burns.   A multidisciplinary team dedicated solely to the care of the critically ill and injured, is composed of surgical attendings with added Board Certification in surgical critical care, surgical residents, advanced care nurse practitioners, a unit based doctor of Pharmacology (Pharm D), a nutritionist and a dedicated social worker.  Consultative services are obtained from a variety of medical specialties as needed.  The high level of this commitment to the care of the critically ill patient is further emphasized by the recent addition of an accredited Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, an advanced graduate medical education program designed to train young surgeons in the specialized care of the critically ill.

The emphasis on critical care and teaching is further complimented by the strong research interest of the faculty and the support of the Loyola University Burn and Shock Trauma Institute, a multidisciplinary center for research into the epidemiology, prevention, and clinical and basic sciences related to trauma and burns.

The division welcomes referrals and inquires regarding patient care, educational offerings, research opportunities, or other issues related to trauma and surgical critical care.

Special Services

• Level I Trauma Center specializing in the resuscitation and care of the multiple-injured patient from prevention through rehabilitation.
• Specialized critical care services for complicated trauma and non-trauma conditions both pre- and post-operatively .
• Specialized pediatric physicians provide care to the critically ill and injured infant and child.

Our doctors who specialize in this area are:

• Thomas Esposito, MD, MPH
• John Santaniello, MD
• Ellen Omi, MD
• Hieu Ton-That, MD
• Arthur Sanford, MD
• Casey Thomas, DO