Sacramento area residents and visitors are fortunate to have a well defined trauma system in place should the need occur. Trauma is the leading cause of death in infants and children. "Trauma" is perhaps best defined as an injury or damage that is caused by an external force either through accident or violence. Some examples of this would be a vehicle accident, fall from a roof, shooting, etc. The Sacramento area trauma system consists of a regional response and transport plan.

Trauma patients that are classified as "critical trauma" are transported to one of the three trauma centers in the area. Which trauma center the patient is transported to is determined by which facility is the "time closest" to transport to in addition to the condition and age of the patient. The three trauma centers in the area are:

U.C. Davis, Medical Center (Level I trauma center)
Mercy San Juan Hospital (Level II trauma center)
Sutter Roseville Medical Center (Level II trauma center)

Patients that are less than 15 years of age are usually transported to the Level I trauma center unless the patient does not have an effective airway or under Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Patients needing airway intervention will be transported to the closest available hospital (regardless of trauma designation) and pediatric trauma patients under CPR are transported to the time closest trauma center.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) evaluates all of the Sacramento area trauma centers at the request of the County EMS Agency. The ACS doctors and evaluators have praised the Sacramento trauma system for the rapid response times (to the scene) for medical personnel, short scene times and transport times.

EMS personnel in the County of Sacramento operate on a "standing order system" meaning that EMT and Paramedic personnel are allowed to treat the majority of patients with the intervention deemed appropriate and necessary per protocol without medical direction from a base hospital. This system allows EMS personnel to intervene with treatment that the patient may require without having to obtain "an order" prior to treating. This process helps "stabilize" the patient sooner while enroute to definitive care at a trauma center.