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Providing optimal care to Orange County trauma patients requires both UC Irvine Medical Center’s broad spectrum of specialists as well as the resources of a tertiary university hospital. The core group that directs this care at Orange County’s only Level I trauma center is the trauma and critical care surgery team.

UC Irvine Healthcare’s trauma specialists are board-certified in surgery with additional qualifications in surgical critical care. The team also calls upon specialists in emergency medicine, neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, vascular surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, plastic surgery, anesthesiology, radiology and head and neck surgery to design the most effective and comprehensive treatment for each patient.

Other members of the trauma team at Orange County’s only university hospital include emergency, critical care and surgical nurses, trauma technologists, case managers, clinical social workers, respiratory therapists, experts in physical, occupational and speech therapy as well as other medical professionals.

View a complete list of our multidisciplinary physician team »

Core members of UC Irvine Healthcare’s Trauma and Critical Care team are:

Michael Lekawa, MD, FACS Trauma and critical care surgeon

Dr. Lekawa, UC Irvine Healthcare’s head of Trauma, Burns, Acute Care Surgery and Critical Care Services, is a board-certified surgeon and surgical intensivist who has dedicated his life to improving care for patients suffering from trauma or emergent surgical conditions. Lekawa is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the Pacific Coast Surgical Society and the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. He has received multiple teaching and service awards during his career.

Learn more about Dr. Lekawa »

Cristobal Barrios, MD Trauma and critical care surgeon

Dr. Barrios is a fellowship trained in critical care and trauma surgery. Barrios joined the UC Irvine Healthcare staff after completing his fellowship at UC Irvine Medical Center. His interests include resuscitation of critically ill patients, organ donor management and end-of-life care.

Learn more about Dr. Barrios »

Nicole P. Bernal, MD Burn, trauma and critical care surgeon

Dr. Bernal, acting director of the UC Irvine Regional Burn Center, is a burn and acute care surgeon with fellowship training in both surgical critical care and burn surgery. She has expertise in skin grafts, wound reconstruction and critical care management for adult and pediatric patients with acute thermal, chemical and electrical injuries, as well as with burn-related complications such as scar contractures and hypertrophic scarring. Bernal also is a skilled general and trauma surgeon with expertise in numerous laparoscopic procedures, including cholecystectomy, appendectomy and hernia repair, as well as a variety of intestinal and complex abdominal wall surgeries.

Learn more about Dr. Bernal »

Matthew O. Dolich, M.D. Trauma Surgeon

Dr. Dolich is board certified in both general surgery and surgical critical care. His expertise includes care of severely injured patients, complex operations, reoperative procedures and leading-edge minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries. He completed fellowships in surgical critical care and trauma surgery at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center.

Learn more about Dr. Dolich »

Allen P. Kong, MD Trauma and critical care surgeon

Dr. Kong is a trauma surgeon with fellowship training in surgical critical care. Kong also performs outpatient general surgery, including laparoscopic and complex hernia repair, stoma reversals, laparoscopic cholecystectomy and gastrostomy. His research interest involves the amelioration of organ failure in hemorrhagic shock, and he has been published on the topic of UC Irvine's improved success with organ procurement. He is a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine.

Learn more about Dr. Kong »

Christopher T Lane, MD Surgeon

Dr. Lane is a surgeon for the trauma and critical care surgery team. His clinical interests include laparoscopic surgery and surgical procedures for the gallbladder, hernias, colon, thyroid, parathyroid, pancreas, liver and various cancers.

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Stephanie Lush, RN, MSN Trauma program manager

Lush has managed the trauma program at UC Irvine Medical Center since 1995. A nurse for more than 25 years, Lush’s background includes critical care and emergency nursing, as well as paramedic and flight program administration. Her responsibilities as trauma program manager include ensuring compliance with all regulatory standards relating to trauma, as well as oversight of the Trauma Performance Improvement Program and Trauma Injury Prevention Program. Lush also serves as the community liaison to the Orange County Emergency Medical Services Agency, which presented her with the 2008 “Vision in Emergency Medical Services” award.

Rosemarie Mendoza, NP Acute care surgery/ Trauma surgery nurse practitioner

As a trauma nurse practitioner, Mendoza assists with acute surgical and trauma inpatient management, which encompasses assessment, monitoring, treatment and evaluation of patient discharge readiness, outpatient follow up, preoperative history and physical exams, coordination of elective procedures and evaluation of patient readiness for surgery. She also works with the team to develop clinical practice guidelines and engages in action research. Mendoza’s distinguished service and contributions were recognized in February 2007 with a “Gold Star Award” by the UC Irvine Chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society.

Robin Ketchum, MSN Nurse practitioner

Ketchum has more than 20 years of experience in critical care, trauma and emergency nursing. At UC Irvine, she participates in daily rounds as part of the trauma team, performing physical exams, ordering diagnostic studies, interpreting data and discharging patients. Ketchum also sees patients in UC Irvine’s acute care surgery office, where she performs consultation history and physical exams.

Kimberly Burton, PA Physician assistant

Burton assists UC Irvine’s burn surgeons and provides inpatients as well as outpatients with continuity of care. She also assists surgeons with surgical and wound care procedures. Burton is involved in many activities and programs, including the Twilight Picnic, World Burn Congress for Burn Survivors, American Burn Conference and Burn Prevention Programs. She is also a Burn Life Support instructor.

Christy Carroll, BSN, RN, PHN Trauma injury prevention coordinator

Carroll is responsible for the continued development of the Trauma Injury Prevention Program. Her responsibilities include promoting computerized alcohol screening and brief intervention (CASI), data collection for the National Trauma Database, providing injury prevention education to staff and patients, and developing community education programs to prevent trauma in Orange County. Carroll has served as a registered nurse in emergency medicine and the medical surgical units for more than 10 years.