The demand for trauma care is increasing dramatically with traumatic injuries growing at an annual rate of 12%. The need for orthopaedic traumatologists has never been greater. The UCSF/SFGH Orthopaedic Trauma Center is expanding to meet these needs. The service has added three additional Orthopaedic Trauma surgeons, a Chief of Rehabilitation, and two nurse practitioners within the past year. The service plans to hire two additional full-time orthopaedic surgeons, a physiatrist, a podiatrist and two nurse practitioners within the next year. A new SFGH helicopter service is on-track to begin in 2006-2007. In addition, the UCSF/SFGH Orthopaedic Trauma Center has developed Biomechanics and Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratories over the past two years in a 2800 square-foot facility. The research team includes three PhDs (a biomechanician, and two cellular and molecular biologists) who will work with surgeons to conduct cutting-edge scientific and medical research.
With the opening of Mission Bay, a UCSF biomedical research campus, the laboratories are slated to expand into another newly renovated facility with 4000 square-feet of space. The UCSF/SFGH Orthopaedic Trauma Center will continue to develop improvements in the treatments available for orthopaedic trauma injuries.