News

This impressive accomplishment demonstrates South Texas Health System’s ongoing commitment to ensure quality care is available for patients with life-threatening injuries or illnesses in the Rio Grande Valley.

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 people of 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 classify 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 its commitment to providing the highest quality of care for all community members. This Trauma Level II designation, along with its “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. 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.

“The Rio Grande Valley’s regional trauma system has been strengthened by the designation of 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.”

This state designation is valid for a three-year period and expires in February 2022.

Facts about our Level II Trauma Center

• McAllen Medical Center helps 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 first-, second- and third-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 six percent, 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 averages.
  • The national estimated rate for trauma mortalities is 4.31 percent according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
  • The most recent data for the state of Texas trauma mortality rate was 2.15 percent in 2015.
  • In 2018, STHS McAllen had a trauma mortality rate of 2.14 percent.

Contact

For more information, please contact Marcy Martinez, Public Relations Coordinator for South Texas Health System, at 956-778-0181.