ARLINGTON, Texas — The trauma center at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth has been redesignated a Comprehensive Level I Trauma Facility by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). This status follows the hospital’s recent reverification by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS COT).
Comprehensive Trauma Facilities, also known as Level I Trauma Centers, provide regional resources for patients who require complex trauma care. As a Level I Trauma Center, Texas Health Fort Worth provides 24-hour, in-house medical staff care by trauma surgeons, as well as specialists in all other areas of surgical expertise, including orthopedic, neurosurgery, radiology, plastic, oral and maxillofacial, vascular and thoracic.
“No one wants to visit a trauma center for themselves or a loved one. But having a Level I Trauma Center at our hospital means that when a traumatic medical event occurs, we’re ready to provide high-quality care when you need it most,” said Jared Shelton, FACHE, president of Texas Health Fort Worth. “This is part of our continued Mission to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve.”
Level I Trauma Centers are verified by ACS and designated by the state. In Texas, a facility earns the title of “designated trauma center” when it meets the requirements of the DSHS. Texas Health Fort Worth first received its Level 1 Trauma designation and verification in 2023.
The ACS Trauma Verification, Review, and Consultation (VRC) Program helps hospitals to evaluate and improve their trauma care by providing an objective external review of their resources and performance. The ACS verifies compliance with the standards listed in the manual “Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient.”
“Our team has the resources, advanced tools and highly trained professionals needed to support trauma patients on their path back to everyday life,” said Ann Quinlan, M.S.N., R.N., TCRN, director of trauma, burn and emergency general surgery at Texas Health Fort Worth. “Across every discipline, our employees and the physicians on the medical staff work relentlessly to deliver lifesaving care.”
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About Texas Health Resources
Texas Health Resources is a faith-based, nonprofit health system that cares for more patients in North Texas than any other provider. With a service area that consists of 16 counties and more than 8 million people, the system is committed to providing quality, coordinated care through its Texas Health Physicians Group and 29 hospital locations under the banners of Texas Health Presbyterian, Texas Health Arlington Memorial, Texas Health Harris Methodist and Texas Health Huguley. Texas Health access points and services, ranging from acute-care hospitals and trauma centers to outpatient facilities and home health and preventive services, provide the full continuum of care for all stages of life. The system has more than 4,400 licensed hospital beds, 6,400 physicians with active staff privileges and nearly 29,000 employees. For more information about Texas Health, call 1-877-THR-WELL, or visit www.TexasHealth.org.