Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth has received notification from the state that the hospital has earned a Level II Trauma Re-designation from the Texas Department of State Health Services and the American College of Surgeons, the hospital announced Dec. 20.
“We are proud to serve Tarrant County and surrounding areas as a Level II trauma center,” said Lillie Biggins, RN, FACHE, president of Texas Health Fort Worth. “When patients come through our doors, we stand ready to care for them. To us, this designation represents our commitment to the communities we serve.”
The hospital’s Emergency Department cares for an average of 352 patients every day.
To receive a designation from the state of Texas, a hospital must first demonstrate its abilities to the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The first step is a one-year demonstration period. After compiling a year of clinical data, ACS surveys the facility and determines whether the hospital has the capabilities to serve its community.
In Texas, trauma designations are Levels I through IV. Level I is the highest-level and IV the lowest.
Level I and II centers provide the same level of care for trauma patients and have a full range of specialists and equipment available in-house 24 hours a day. The news release said. These facilities are required to see patients within 15 minutes of arrival, according to the Texas EMS Trauma & Acute Care Foundation’s Trauma Activation Guidelines.
Level I facilities offer teaching and research, which is what differentiates them from Level II facilities.
¬– FWBP Staff