“To go from a Level III to a Level II center, we essentially have to have a dedicated trauma surgeon in-house 24/7,” he said. “Anytime an [emergency medical services] provider calls from the field and says they are bringing a trauma Level II patient, that surgeon is already physically in our building and has no other responsibilities other than treating trauma patients.”

In March, CFMCH brought on a primary and backup trauma surgeons to work in-house along with an operating room crew dedicated to trauma calls. The crew is made up of new staff members and a number of other specialists, Mahajan said, including an orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons.

For Memorial Hermann to reach Level III, it must meet several other requirements in addition to having a trauma surgeon available within 30 minutes. For example, it must provide 24-hour immediate coverage by emergency physicians and the prompt availability of general surgeons and anesthesiologists.

Memorial Hermann Cypress CEO Heath Rushing said it can be up to a two-year process to receive the designation.

“Trauma needs throughout the area are only going to grow,” he said. “We have a committed staff and group of surgeons to help support that journey.”

Improving trauma centers—which handle everything from car accident victims to elderly residents who sustain injuries in their homes—has the direct result of saving lives, Mahajan said. Previously, Cy-Fair patients in need of Level II services had to be transferred to the medical center downtown, he said.

“For an ambulance to take a patient from Cypress using [Hwy.] 290, it can take 40-50 minutes in rush hour traffic,” he said. “That’s time a patient is not getting the intervention they need to be lifesaving.”

The surveying process

To receive a designation from the state of Texas, a hospital must first demonstrate its abilities to the American College of Surgeons. The first step is a demonstration period of one year. After compiling a year’s worth of clinical data, ACS surveys the facility to see if the hospital has the capabilities to serve its community.

“They talk to trauma surgeons, nursing staff and other departments,” Mahajan said.

In addition to having a trauma surgeon on-site 24/7, CFMCH has made several other necessary improvements, including increasing the capacity of its on-site blood bank and implementing new technology. The hospital purchased new trauma stretchers with built-in X-rays to minimize the movement of trauma patients as well as a bedside ultrasound device that allows a surgeon to identify internal bleeding and injuries.

Although CFMCH has not been formally designated as a Level II center, it is still capable of serving patients with Level II needs while it prepares for the survey, Mahajan said.

“We are already dealing with Level II issues because we were the closest most appropriate trauma center,” he said.

ACS recommends having a Level I trauma center for every 1 million people. With roughly 7 million people in the Greater Houston area, Mahajan said there is a clinical need for more programs, especially in Cy-Fair.

“Although we say we’re part of Houston, the Cy-Fair area is a large city itself with more than 800,000 people,” he said. “We have a long-standing relationship to meet the clinical needs of the community.”