St. David's Round Rock Medical Center aims to become first trauma center in Williamson County

St. David's Round Rock Medical Center aims to become first trauma center in Williamson County

By Community Impact Newspaper Staff Tuesday, 23 June 2009

St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center announced June 22 that the hospital will seek Level II Trauma Designation, making it the only trauma center in Williamson County.

“St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center is well positioned to become a designated trauma center; the hospital has the busiest emergency department in the City of Round Rock with more than 40,000 patient visits each year,” Deborah Ryle, CEO of St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center said in a statement. “In more than two decades, we have grown with Williamson County — from recruiting hundreds of specialty physicians to launching the area’s first comprehensive cardiovascular program. We are pleased to now add trauma services to the superb level of health care that we can offer residents close to home.”

In the past 16 months alone, more than 600 patients have required transport from Williamson County to hospitals in downtown Austin for trauma-related conditions.

Joe Granberry, deputy director of Williamson County Emergency Medical Services, said the center is in an ideal location to become a trauma center because of its access to major roadways and that it will reduce the turnaround time it takes ambulances to get back into the county to assist other customers.

St. Davids Round Rock Medical Center is in the initial steps of preparing for the transition to a Level II Trauma Center. The hospital is recruiting trauma surgeons and critical care specialists to direct the program. A multi-disciplinary physician steering committee was also developed to build the infrastructure and begin training staff for the trauma program. Hospital leaders describe the program as a multi-specialty service with general surgery, orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery at its core.

According to the American Trauma Society, trauma is one of the most pressing health problems in the United States.