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Inside America's Busiest Trauma Center


Porchman

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It was also eyeopening that Houston doesn't have enough trauma centers for our population.

There are 12, active Level I's in the entire State. Looking at the major Metros:

DFW: Three Level I's and Three Level II's.

Austin: No Level I and One Level II

SA: One Level I and no Level II's

Houston: Two Level I's Ben Taub and Hermann (pending UTMB's re-cert) and No Level II's

It's a crisis. As the story indicates this is not a money maker for hospitals. This is why the State implemented the DRL Surcharges.

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It's a crisis. As the story indicates this is not a money maker for hospitals. This is why the State implemented the DRL Surcharges.

Each surcharge collected by the Department under this law will be remitted to the Texas State Comptroller's office on a monthly basis. The Trauma Center and Texas General Revenue Funds receive 99% of the revenue collected, while DPS receives the remaining one percent for the administration of the Driver Responsibility Program.

not bad...

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what does drive-by status mean, they have no room?

It means they are not accepting patients.

Well, more specifically, it means they're waving off ambulances. When I was in a car wreck in the Heights three years ago, the paramedics made several inquiries before they found out MH-TMC had just come off drive-by. My next option was MH-Memorial City

not bad...

Yeah it sounds good unless you give the money to lawmakers. From this morning's Houston Chronicle: Dedicated funds diverted to state budget

Other unspent balances include $331.3 million in the account that reimburses hospitals for uncompensated trauma care. The account is financed by extra fines on drivers for driving while intoxicated and other offenses. A total of $150 million will be allocated during the next two years from the fund, despite hospitals reporting about $225 million in uncompensated trauma care in fiscal 2009 alone

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Well, the Harris County Hospital District is looking into purchasing Memorial Hermann Southwest. That's 600 beds.

Now, I wonder if they'll transform their ER into a Level I. The CEO of the HCHD acknowledged that Houston could use more of such services.

And Memorial Hermann in the TMC...it's also where Ben Taub employees go next door for a quality meal.

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Well, the Harris County Hospital District is looking into purchasing Memorial Hermann Southwest. That's 600 beds.

Now, I wonder if they'll transform their ER into a Level I. The CEO of the HCHD acknowledged that Houston could use more of such services.

I was thinking the same thing. MHSW currently operates a Level III tauma center.

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Memorial Hermann Southwest has the facility to be a level 1 trauma center. But such center needs surgeons and other specialists around the clock. Harris County will have to work on this if they buy the hospital and seek such designation, which I think is part of their plan. On the side, they will not lack level 1 trauma patients with all the gunshots going on in Gulfton and Club Creek.

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