Arizona health officials say the state's rate of trauma deaths has dropped significantly as the number of trauma centers has risen across the state, particularly in rural communities.
The Department of Health Service says the rate of trauma deaths per 100,000 population dropped by 29 percent from 2006 to 2014.
The number of trauma centers in Arizona rose from seven in 2006 to 40 in 2015, with most of the new ones located in rural communities. That additional access to trauma care helps patients get care quickly.
The department says other factors in the decreased trauma death rate include injury prevention initiatives, improvements in clinical care and safety engineering of roads and cars.
