When Joseph DeLeon became president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth in 2018, one of his goals was to expand hospital capacity in Tarrant County.
Fort Worth Hospital had to overcome one hurdle: becoming a Level I trauma center.
DeLeon and leaders of the hospital's trauma program and emergency services began working toward that goal. Texas Health Fort Worth welcomed its first group of general surgery residents in 2021. From there, DeLeon said, it's just a matter of time.
In January 2023, Texas Health Fort Worth was officially designated as a Level I Trauma Center. A year later, the hospital experienced growth in trauma surgery.
For decades, Texas Health Fort Worth operated as a Level II trauma center. This meant that they could provide trauma care, but not the more complex and specialized care that only Level I centers could provide. Level I hospitals must also admit a certain number of trauma patients each year, conduct research, and train residents.
“We were very busy in a Level II trauma center, but we had to cross several areas to get to the higher levels,” DeLeon said. “Getting the first class of residents up was the last hurdle we had to overcome. It was just fast and furious.”
According to Penn Medicine, trauma care is the treatment of serious injuries that threaten life or limb. Hospitals serving trauma centers operate at levels 1 through 5 based on resources and patient volume.
Level I trauma centers, also known as comprehensive trauma facilities, provide regional resources for patients requiring complex trauma care. These centers are certified by the American College of Surgeons and designated by the Texas Department of Health. Hospitals may be identified, but not designated.
Since the designation, Texas Department of State Health Services Fort Worth trauma cases have increased by approximately 5.2%. The hospital had 13,110 trauma-related visits in 2023 and 12,465 in 2022. Additionally, the number of seriously injured patients in 2023 increased by 20% compared to 2022.
More than 50% of trauma patients are over 60 years old, said Nelson Martinez, director of emergency services at Texas Health Fort Worth.
Texas Health Fort Worth patient enrollment increased by more than 7.2% between 2022 and 2023. The hospital's 2023 enrollment was 6,734 patients, up from 6,280 in 2022. This hospital is spread over his 88 counties in five states.
“We record data with the American College of Surgeons, which means our care is appropriate and reaching different areas,” says Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital said Anne Quinlan, trauma program manager in Fort Worth. “With us being chosen as a destination, (this designation) increases the complexity and volume.”
Fort Worth Hospital welcomes seven residents to its first training class. Since then, the program has grown to 13.
“(Residents) add a lot of value to the hospital,” Quinlan said. “They are always curious and always ask a million questions. Our relationship with the trauma center is great, and that relationship has grown because of the number of patients we are able to treat. ”
Prior to its designation as Texas Health Fort Worth, JPS Health Network was the only Level I trauma center in Tarrant County. JPS he obtained this label in January 2010.
As Tarrant County continues to grow, health experts have questions like: Do we need another Level I trauma center?
Dallas is home to five Level I trauma centers: Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Baylor University Medical Center, Children's Medical Center Dallas, Parkland Memorial Hospital, and Methodist Dallas Medical Center.
Dr. Stuart Pickell, associate professor of internal medicine at Texas Christian University Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine, said the increase in Level I centers means additional resources and options for trauma care.
“From a general point of view, as population density increases, the opportunities for accidents and injuries increase, so it is important that these services are available,” he said. “Fort Worth is growing and we also need to expand our capacity to address trauma.”
For DeLeon, adding another Level I trauma center will be a good thing as Tarrant County's population and economy continue to grow. He and his team will continue to focus on Texas Health Fort Worth's trauma care operations.
“We just had a meeting about what the next five to 10 years will look like. For us, that means continuing to build relationships in trauma care,” he said. “We need to make sure everyone is involved in that care, and that's what health systems like (Texas Health Resources) are doing. It works across the community. ”
David Moreno is a health reporter for The Fort Worth Report. His position is supported by a grant from Texas Health Resources. Please contact david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports With X.
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