The Importance of Texas’ Level 1 Trauma Centers

Level I trauma centers are fundamental to the state’s entire trauma system. Each year, these Level I trauma centers accept thousands of patients transferred from other hospitals around the state precisely because of the specialty expertise and advanced level of care they provide. These are patients who are stabilized in rural and suburban community hospitals and transferred because they need a higher level of specialty care – surgical, medical, or rehabilitative care available only at a Level 1 trauma center.

• The costs of maintaining Level I-readiness are significant. Annual readiness maintenance costs are estimated at $6 to $10 million.
• Large amounts of the trauma care provided is unfunded. Texas’ trauma hospitals sustain $XXXX in unfunded direct trauma care costs annually. Some of these costs are offset with distributions from the state’s Uncompensated Trauma Care Fund Distribution (Funds 5108 & 5007). In FY 2021, this fund distributed $1.1 million to 294 trauma trauma facilities (Level 1-Level IV).
  

On behalf of its members, THOT advocates for maintaining the state’s commitment to trauma care funding.

See our member hospitals in action

University Health
Trauma Patient Story

Harris Health System
Trauma Patient Story

Parkland Health
Trauma Patient Story

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