ARMC Trauma Center gets named after founding physician, leader

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center’s trauma center is now the Dev A. GnanaDev Trauma Center

In the early 1980s, recognizing the urgent need for a dedicated trauma center to treat severely injured patients in San Bernardino County, Dev A. GnanaDev, M.D., working with hospital administration, developed a plan to meet that need.

In 1982, Dr. GnanaDev, a longtime area surgeon and physician leader, founded the trauma center at San Bernardino County Medical Center as a first step in creating a dedicated trauma center. He led the growth of the trauma center after the hospital was moved in 1999 to Colton and became known as Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC).

Recognizing Dr. GnanaDev’s early efforts to establish high quality trauma care in the area and his role in helping ARMC achieve Level 1 trauma verification in 2022, the hospital recently named its trauma center after him.

The Dev A. GnanaDev Trauma Center was unveiled during a ceremony on May 23. The event was attended by local, state and federal elected officials, hospital staff, friends and the family of Dr. GnanaDev, a general, vascular and trauma surgeon who has been treating patients in the region for more than 43 years.

“It is a tremendous honor to have my name on our trauma center,” said Dr. GnanaDev, the hospital’s chair of surgery since 1988 and medical director from 2000 to 2012. “My sincere thanks to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors and hospital administration for this recognition. More than anything, I am so pleased that we have developed a trauma center that our residents can rely on and will provide them with the best care possible.”

“The board was delighted to support the naming of ARMC’s trauma center in honor of Dr. GnanaDev,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe. “His unwavering commitment to ARMC and our community has set a standard of excellence that is truly inspiring. Dr. GnanaDev’s leadership, compassion, and dedication have profoundly impacted countless lives, and this naming is a fitting tribute to his contributions.”

Dr. GnanaDev guided the hospital’s efforts to achieve Level 1 trauma center verification, meaning that it has met rigorous and extensive qualifying criteria to provide the highest level of care for a patient presenting after a traumatic injury.

“We are honored to have had the opportunity to name ARMC’s trauma center in recognition of Dr. GnanaDev, whose tireless dedication and leadership have significantly advanced patient care in our community. This naming not only commemorates Dr. GnanaDev’s outstanding contributions but also inspires us to continue striving for excellence in medical care and innovation,” said ARMC Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Goldfrach.

The Dev A. GnanaDev Trauma Center is one of the state’s busiest for adult trauma care. In addition to providing high-quality care to injured patients, the trauma center promotes healthy behaviors through robust outreach programs designed to prevent injury and death.