Mega Doctor News
McAllen, TX – McAllen Medical Center, part of the South Texas Health System (STHS), is the first hospital in Hidalgo County designated as a Level II Trauma Center with 24/7 board-certified trauma surgeons immediately available to serve the Rio Grande Valley.
The designation by the Texas Department of State Health Services was achieved following program verification by the American College of Surgeons and required that McAllen Medical Center meet the essential criteria that demonstrate trauma care capability and institutional performance. The Texas Department of State Health Services Trauma Designation Rules classifies both Level I and Level II Centers as Major Trauma Centers since patient care delivery requirements are the same for both.
McAllen Medical Center is proud to be designated as the first and only Level II Trauma Center in Hidalgo County; demonstrating their commitment to providing the highest quality of care for all community members. This Trauma Level II designation, along with their“A” rating for patient safety by The Leapfrog Group, is why more people are choosing McAllen Medical Center for their healthcare needs compared to other organizations.
McAllen Medical Center sees 33,000 emergency department visits each year and has a mortality rate that is lower than both the state and national average.
“The Rio Grande Valley’s regional trauma system has been strengthened by the designation of our McAllen Medical Center as a Level II Trauma Center. And we are not stopping there,” said Todd Mann, CEO for McAllen Medical Center. “In fact, we are on a journey to become Hidalgo County’s first and only Level I Trauma Center and we appreciate the support of our community and elected officials as we seek that designation. But make no mistake, whether we are a Level I Trauma Center or a Level II Trauma Center, we offer the highest level of care and treatment which has earned us this special designation by the State of Texas and the American College of Surgeons.”
Patients who come to McAllen Medical Center as a designated Level II Trauma Center will be less likely to be transferred to another facility for advanced care. This state designation is valid for a three-year period and expires in February of 2022.
McAllen Medical Center helps our military personnel maintain their skills when they are not deployed in a battle setting. Surgeons from San Antonio Military Medical Center, a Level I Trauma Center, routinely perform surgeries as part of the care team at McAllen Medical Center and helped McAllen achieve its Level II Trauma Center designation.
The McAllen Family Medicine Residency Clinic, a collaborative physician training program between McAllen Medical Center and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, provides 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-year residents with opportunities in general medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics, and geriatrics. Their training now includes rotations in the Level II Trauma Center at McAllen Medical Center.
In 2018, transfers from McAllen Medical Center were low: Only 6%, or 78 patients, of the 1,251 trauma admissions were transferred.
The trauma mortality rate for McAllen Medical Center is lower than the state and national average. The national estimated rate for trauma mortalities is 4.31% according to the Texas Department of State Health Services; Most recent data for the state of Texas trauma mortality rate was 2.15% in 2015; In 2018, STHS McAllen had a trauma mortality rate of 2.14%.
South Texas Health System announced the official designation of McAllen Medical Center as the first and only Level II Trauma Center in the upper Valley.
