Officials with Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center announced today the hospital has received verification as a Level II Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons. The verification allows the hospital to provide higher-level trauma care in The Woodlands and surrounding communities. “Several years ago, we recognized there was a need for higher level trauma centers in Greater Houston,” said Josh Urban, senior vice president and CEO of Memorial Hermann The Woodlands and Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital, in a statement. “Montgomery County was identified as a fast-growing community that could benefit immediately from an advanced level of care, so we began the pursuit of Level II trauma center verification at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands.” To receive the certification, officials said the hospital is required to have 24-hour access to medical teams with specially-trained professionals with experience in trauma care. Requirements include the availability of specialists in orthopedics, neurosurgery and cardiovascular care. In addition to availability, Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center has also expanded its emergency center, adding three trauma rooms and seven treatment rooms as well as a helipad to serve as a base for life flight helicopters. The announcement also follows the hospitals designation for a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit last September. “We’re proud of the strong team we have assembled to serve this growing community that has always relied on us for their health care needs,” said Timothy Hodges, M.D., trauma medical director at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands, in a statement. “We have been functioning as a Level II trauma center for more than a year, and today, we received the official stamp of approval. Residents can rest assured we are equipped to treat complex cases, from the onset of the trauma to post-acute rehabilitation right here in The Woodlands.”