St Joes lost Level 2 Trauma Designation

6,296 Views | 41 Replies | Last: 18 days ago by EMY92
Red Pear Luke (BCS)
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Apparently St Joes had their Level 2 Trauma designation

Can anyone confirm?
maroon barchetta
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I read that as a passing comment on one of these boards in the past month or so. Didn't see anything official.

It's not the kind of news they are going to announce.
TwoTimeAg
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Texas Department of State Health Services website shows them as Level III.
Gunner0740
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They 100% do not have their level II trauma certification anymore.
saturn135
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100% True

https://www.dshs.texas.gov/dshs-ems-trauma-systems/trauma-system-development/texas-trauma-facilities
highpriorityag
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Why is this important?

S&W in Temple is listed as Level 1 and they suck fr

trouble
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It has to do with what services they offer
Red Pear Luke (BCS)
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highpriorityag said:

Why is this important?

S&W in Temple is listed as Level 1 and they suck fr




BSW does not have the capacity ( at least quickly) to fulfill all the demand for medical care. If St Joes collapses over night, there is going to be a lot of issues and people who need medical attention or to see their doctors who can't..
maroon barchetta
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Weird emoji choice for that comment.
Red Pear Luke (BCS)
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maroon barchetta said:

Weird emoji choice for that comment.


Blushing in the retrospect like "please don't f*** up, we don't need st joes to leave or collapse"

My wife is a NP and works for health point and there are so many underserved medical patients in this community. Same thing about BSW potentially not taking blue cross blue shield any more, just makes other providers that much more stretched thin.
VStarr2024
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It's been rumored for the last 6 months or so. Interesting to see it finally quietly confirmed by the state.
EBrazosAg
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It's mostly due to not having a trauma surgeon lead program….
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Hornbeck
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If I'm shot or stabbed, please airlift me to Ben Taub in Houston. Those guys know how to handle that, very well…
AggiePirate
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Hornbeck said:

If I'm shot or stabbed, please airlift me to Ben Taub in Houston. Those guys know how to handle that, very well…
Will do.
AggiePirate
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AggiePirate said:

Hornbeck said:

If I'm shot or stabbed, please airlift me to Ben Taub in Houston. Those guys know how to handle that, very well…
Will do.
Where we droppin' boys?
FamousAgg
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Cost cutting, not great
gettingitdone
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FamousAgg said:

Cost cutting, not great
how is it cost cutting?
AggiePirate
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gettingitdone said:

FamousAgg said:

Cost cutting, not great
how is it cost cutting?
I think maybe they were saying likely due to that? Leading to lowered accreditation?
RNAggie
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Cost to keep those providers and staff on call 24/7 wasn't worth the amount of traumas they actually *saw.
FamousAgg
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Basically sounds like no 24 hour staffing for ortho, neurology and anesthesiology. They will have to call them in so patients could have to wait.

https://www.amtrauma.org/page/traumalevels

Level 2
24-hour immediate coverage by general surgeons, as well as coverage by the specialties of orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care.

Level 3
24-hour immediate coverage by emergency medicine physicians and the prompt availability of general surgeons and anesthesiologists.
FamousAgg
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Yes, not staffing surgeons and specialty docs 24x7.
Reload84
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This is a huge loss for our entire community and region. So many rely on top notch care especially during major trauma events associated with traffic accidents, industrial accidents and mass casualty events. Our community is growing and hosting many major events beyond just Aggie Football that cause our population to swell. Without advanced care we are vulnerable. Tons of cost pressure being put on hospitals by charitable care and bureaucrats that keep changing reimbursement formulas. Sad.
cslifer
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They are officially not handling MIs (heart attacks) at the old Med anymore either. If one shows up they will be transferred to Bryan, at patient expense of course.
Strange that they left that out of the new bulletin…
Red Pear Luke (BCS)
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I will say part of the problem in attracting medical talent is simply cost hospitals/care providers are willing to pay.

I understand inflation and the increased costs pressures felt by the systems. But part of this is a chicken or the egg problem as well.

Shoot - Baylor ran a cost study on their physicians and care providers for the college station area and determined that they were way under paying their staff in temple in addition to College Station as well. But they have revenue and business economics to balance and still struggling to fill roles that take 6-9 months to find replacements.

They and pretty much all the others will need to open the purse to attract talent. Only way to make this better or there will be continued poaching of providers to other metros which is what partly caused St Joes downfall. St Joes lost revenue and thus stopped paying their people and their people started looking elsewhere. Bryan & College station is an attractive destination for some but not all.

Last point - I don't think this issue is just related to college station. But more of an increasing issue nationwide. We just feel it more given a higher retiree population and us being the closest major metro for a lot of small towns to the west. Even Baylor doctors will
Admit that BSW has been thinking too small for College Station (hospital shoulda been built bigger. The MOB should have been built bigger). Etc.

My hope is A&M might be able to come in and help fix this mess a bit, stem the bleeding and provide a bit of a turn around. It's weird we don't have our med school have a local partnership or hospital.
Red Pear Luke (BCS)
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Also - I will admit this is all me parroting the stuff I hear and pick up from the neighbors and folks who work in healthcare here.

No one should feel bad coming in a napalming me if I'm wrong.
EBrazosAg
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Practically - it's not having general surgery in house. Radiology and anesthesia can be there ant hospital and likely will. But don't have to. Ortho may or may not be in house. It may in the end be as good or better to have a good level 3 program than a bad or understaffed level 2. Disappointed but is reality in the current market for physicians and staff.
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AggiePirate
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RNAggie said:

Cost to keep those providers and staff on call 24/7 wasn't worth the amount of traumas they actually *saw.
Makes economical sense, just big deal to us lol
KidDoc
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Outside of a mass casualty event it really doesn't make sense to have high level trauma centers in close proximity. As mentioned it is very expensive to staff a level 1 center 24-7. You are talking about teams of brain surgeons, cardiac surgeons, trauma surgeons available 24-7 plus the staff to support them. Just huge dollars for very rare people.
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techno-ag
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Will they be using the helipad as much with that designation? Or will people be lifeflighted elsewhere?
EBrazosAg
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I would be surprised if it dropped helicopter flights 40%. It might - will be interesting to see what happens .
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trouble
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They were a level 3 for a long time. They've only been a level 2 since 2019. Most people won't notice much change.
trouble
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Yes, they used it plenty before. Lots of people who come in by ambulance will be stabilized then flown out.
FamousAgg
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I dont see anyone here arguing for needing to have level 1 trauma.
AggiePhil
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Perhaps most of the flights will be outgoing, not incoming. That's how it is at the College Station Hospital.
KidDoc
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FamousAgg said:

I dont see anyone here arguing for needing to have level 1 trauma.


Level 2 is cheaper but still crazy expensive especially when you have a lvl 2 center 15ish minutes away.
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