Bay Area Regional Medical Center in Webster is in active pursuit of Level III Trauma designation as part of its continuous efforts to enhance emergency services for the Houston Bay Area community.
According to the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council, the leading cause of traumatic injuries is falls, which represents 39 percent of the total trauma volume in the SETRAC nine county area. The second leading cause of traumatic injuries is due to motor vehicle accidents.
“Becoming a Level III Trauma Center is a collaborative effort that requires a dedicated trauma team as well as a commitment from administration,” said Dr. David Fairweather, medical director of the Trauma Program at Bay Area Regional. “I look forward to helping the team reach full designation in the coming months.”
Bay Area Regional has until June 2018 to achieve the designation. “The decision to become a Level III Trauma Center requires ongoing fulfillment of certain regulations, including the expectation to have one or more qualified physicians available in the emergency department at all times,” said Darrell Pile, CEO of SETRAC.
Bay Area Regional will also participate with trauma leaders from nearly 30 regional hospitals though SETRAC to assess data, discuss best practices, and stay abreast of new developments in the care and treatment of patients with all types of traumatic injuries.
“At Bay Area Regional Medical Center, our goal is to provide exceptional care while making a difference in people’s lives,” said Bay Area Regional CEO Tim Schmidt. “Through our pursuit of Level III Trauma designation, we will continue to meet the needs of the Houston Bay Area community by providing quality trauma intervention and treatment.”
“The residents served by Bay Area Regional can be pleased to know that expert trauma services are available nearby. As a level III trauma hospital, nearly all traumatic injuries can be immediately stabilized and treated. I suspect that with the emergency services at Bay Area Regional, it will be infrequent when a patient will require transfer to a Level II or a Level I trauma hospital,” said Pile.
Trauma surgeons and hospital staff are available 24 hours a day at the hospital. Specially trained nurses attend each trauma patient throughout the day for care coordination. Trauma data is collected and entered into a registry database for quality improvement and injury prevention initiatives.
Hospitals in Texas can achieve four different levels of trauma designation. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, Level III facilities provide resuscitation, stabilization, and assessment of injury victims; offer educational programs for health care professionals and the public; and have injury prevention programs.
The level III hospital can meet nearly all types of traumatic injuries, according to Pile. The hospital team is trained to stabilize and transfer the patient to a Level II or Level I trauma hospital if a higher level of care is needed for the patient.
Bay Area Regional Medical Center first opened its doors in July 2014 with 104 beds and is currently under construction to double the capacity, including expansion of the emergency room, operating room and cardiac catheterization lab, as well as a Women’s Center and NICU. With over 400 physicians on the medical staff, Bay Area Regional offers services such as heart and vascular care, orthopedics, neurosurgery, bariatrics, radiology, general surgery, physical and occupational therapy, sports medicine, pain management and more. For more information about Bay Area Regional Medical Center or to find a physician, visit www.BARMC.us
