Barrow Neurological Institute of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Injuries to the central nervous system resulting in traumatic brain injury (TBI) or spinal cord injury (SCI) are the types of injury most likely to result in death or lifelong disability. Nationally, about 1.5 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury and 11,000 persons are hospitalized for spinal cord injury each year.
Arizona's injury rate exceeds the national average in most major categories and most notably in traffic crashes and injuries related to falls. Injuries account for almost 9% of all deaths in the state. They are the leading cause of death and disability in individuals between the ages of 1 year old and 44 years old and fifth among persons of all ages. Motor vehicle collisions, falls, and firearms are the leading causes of traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury both in Arizona and nationwide.
The most recent data from Arizona's Traumatic Brain Injury Surveillance Program show an incidence rate of 97 traumatic brain injuries per 100,000 persons compared to a national average of 79 per 100,000 persons. The incidence rate of spinal cord injury was 5.9 per 100,000 persons.
The number of people surviving after a serious neurological injury has increased in recent years. This increase in survival rate is attributed to improved prehospital care and centers of excellence specializing in the treatment of these injuries. Barrow Neurological Institute, a national Center of Excellence, facilitates a comprehensive interdisciplinary neurotrauma program. Patients are identified on admission to the hospital and provided state-of-the-art comprehensive care in a seamless fashion from inpatient to outpatient. Through a coordinated research effort, the institution collects and analyzes data relating to the care of traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury patients.
Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center is the only American College of Surgeons (ACS)-verified Level I Trauma service in the State of Arizona. Approximately 5,000 serious injuries are evaluated and treated each year. The hospital has a supportive team of surgeons, critical care and internal medicine physicians, specialized nurses and therapists, and rehabilitation professionals and services to provide the highest level of care for this population.
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