Clinical Distinctions

Trauma Center
Stroke Center
Heart Center
CHOC Children's at Mission Hospital
Rapid Response Team of Nurses
Traumatic Brain Injury Program
Clinical Outcomes

Trauma Center

Mission Regional Trauma Center was the first center of its kind in south Orange County and remains on the forefront as the designated trauma center. As a Level II trauma facility, we are prepared to address the most critical cases immediately, and we maintain everything necessary to treat life-threatening injuries around the clock. Continuing his founding father's legacy, Medical Director John Shaver, M.D. and our dedicated specialists handle approximately 1,000 traumas each year. Our continuum of care begins with prevention and education and progresses to resuscitation, surgery, critical intensive care and a robust rehabilitation program that helps patients return to healthy, productive lives.

Stroke Center

Expert help for stroke is always available at Mission Stroke Center. We are committed to immediately diagnosing, treating and managing patients who exhibit signs of stroke. Offering the region's most comprehensive advanced-neuro care with five of today's most advanced interventional treatment options, including Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA), MERCI Clot Retrieval, Penumbra intracranial clot retrieval, Arctic Sun hypothermia protocol and more.  Orange County Emergency Medical Services designated Mission Hospital a Stroke-Neurology Receiving Center in addition to Joint Commission-certification as a Primary Stroke Center. At Mission, we help set the benchmark for outcome measurement, which aids in improving systems and processes for stroke patients.

Heart Center

Staffed by board certified affiliated physicians and highly skilled nurses and technologists, Mission Heart Center provides the highest level of cardiac care in south Orange County. From our cardiac surgery program, including a nationally recognized coronary artery bypass graph (CABG) program and the delicate, lifesaving aortic arch replacement surgery, to our comprehensive cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program, Mission Heart Center is devoted to providing advanced patient care and safety through treatment, diagnosis, research, education and prevention. Mission Hospital is a designated Cardiac Receiving Center by the Orange County Emergency Medical Services.

CHOC Children's at Mission Hospital

CHOC Children's at Mission Hospital serves as the only dedicated pediatric healthcare facility in south Orange County, the surrounding coastal areas and north San Diego County. You'll find a team of world-class physicians and nurses providing compassionate, innovative care for patients ranging from the most fragile of newborns to the most rambunctious of teenagers.

One of CHOC Children's major focuses is "family-centered care," which involves each patient and his or her caregivers in all aspects of treatment and recovery. A family-centered approach to care empowers families by involving them in decision-making processes while respecting their values, beliefs, and cultural backgrounds.

Rapid Response Team of Nurses

This initiative aims to rescue patients showing signs and symptoms of imminent medical crisis including stroke, sepsis, heart attack and other problems requiring immediate critical interventions. This award-winning team is made up of highly specialized nurses from the Emergency Department, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and Surgical Intensive Care Unit who work dedicated shifts as a Rapid Response Team (RRT) nurse.  Working hand in hand with the bedside nurse, RRT nurses perform rapid assessment and stabilization of a patient in need, optimal communication with physicians, educational opportunities with staff, and assistance with transfers to a higher level of care.   

Traumatic Brain Injury Program

The Mission Hospital Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) program has the advanced capabilities and specific training necessary to treat a full spectrum of head injuries, including traumatically injured neurologic patients.

Response time is vital when a head injury occurs. For this reason, patients are immediately transported to our computed tomography (CT) scanner for evaluation, and if necessary, to an awaiting neurosurgeon within 30 minutes.

Our TBI program was one of the first in the nation to use brain oxygen monitors to better gauge and amend treatments. By advancing our practices and adopting state-of-the-art techniques, the program boasts a 70 percent positive outcome in the most severe traumatic brain injuries.  Nationally- recognized, Mission's TBI program is offered to interested hospitals across the country through the Adam Williams Initiative, which educates clinical teams about our life-enhancing protocols.

Clinical Outcomes

Acute Rehabilitation Program
Outcomes continue to significantly exceed the regional and national outcomes averages in most indicators, such as:

• Shorter stay in acute setting than regional average
• Shorter total hospitalization than region average
• Functional abilities are 9% greater than the region three months after discharge

California Healthcare Associated Infection Prevention Initiative
Hospital acquired infections contribute to more deaths each year than AIDS, Alzheimer's, auto accidents or diabetes. The costs in lives and resources are staggering.

Mission Hospital was one of nine hospitals participating in a pioneering effort.  Seeing a need to address this urgent issue, Blue Shield of California Foundation partnered in June 2005 with hospitals on an innovative new program and launched the California Hospital Acquired Infection Prevention Initiative (CHAIPI) with a $1 million grant. The goal of the effort was to reduce the numbers of illnesses and costs associated with hospital acquired infections.

In the first 18 months of the program, the CHAIPI hospitals collectively achieved:

• A 10 percent reduction in respiratory infections
• A 9.5 percent reduction in blood infections
• A 4 percent reduction in urinary infections