Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center Receives Level II Trauma Care Verification

Memorial Hermann Health System continues to expand in scope, with Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center earning Level II trauma verification from the American College of Surgeons in November. The move provides more immediate access to a higher level of trauma care to communities north of Houston while helping to ease the burden on the Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Houston’s only Level I trauma center for both adult and pediatric patients.

Meanwhile, Memorial Hermann Southwest is well on its way to achieving Level II trauma center verification, and is now going through the process to receive the distinction.

“Our continued efforts illustrate Memorial Hermann Health System’s robust commitment to develop an integrated, seamless trauma care network across the region,” says Thomas "Tom" Flanagan, RN, BSN, MA, LP, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, and Memorial Hermann Health System’s Vice President of the Trauma Service Line and System Integration.

To earn Level II trauma center verification, hospitals undergo a rigorous review process by teams of physicians, nurses and other health care experts with the American College of Surgeons. They carefully review programs and records, and interview practitioners and staff during site visits.

Facilities must show they have 24-hour medical team availability that consists of specially trained health care providers who have expertise in the care of severely injured patients. Among the many requirements are intensive trauma education for staff, availability of subspecialty services like orthopedics, neurosurgery and cardiovascular care as well as trauma-certified emergency center physicians and rapid access to surgical care.

To upgrade its trauma care capabilities, the team at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center expanded to include 10 additional affiliated physicians and approximately 50 clinical staff. The hospital also upgraded its infrastructure with additional surgical and ICU beds, a second Life Flight® helipad, and 3,400 square feet of space that includes seven treatment rooms and three state-of-the-art trauma rooms in the hospital’s emergency center.

In their pursuit of Level II trauma designation, Memorial Hermann Southwest is building out two intensive care units and an operating room suite dedicated to the treatment of advanced neurosurgery and trauma patients. The hospital will be adding highly specialized affiliated physicians in neurosurgery and orthopedics as well as approximately 50 employees to support the trauma program.

Flanagan noted that both Memorial Hermann The Woodlands and Memorial Hermann Southwest are able to quickly transfer trauma patients to the Red Duke Trauma Institute or Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center should the patient need the highest level of trauma care. Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center is also home to John S. Dunn Burn Center, Houston’s only verified burn center.

Memorial Hermann also operates Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital and Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital as Level III trauma centers. Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital, Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital and Memorial Hermann Pearland Hospital are Level IV trauma centers.

TIRR Memorial Hermann, the top-ranked rehabilitative care hospital in Texas and a national leader in rehabilitative care and research, works with all of the hospitals to provide rehabilitative care.

“The key factor in our medical approach is that, as a system, we can immediately respond to any situation throughout the region,” Flanagan added. “That is illustrated every day by the passionate work of our clinicians and support staff as we relentlessly pursue the very highest level of care for our patients.”