Ben Taub Receives Level 1 Trauma from ACS

The American College of Surgeons has again verified the Harris County Hospital District's Ben Taub General Hospital as a Level 1 Trauma Center. The reverification signals the quality of care and specialized services provided to Houston's injured at Ben Taub Hospital.

In a letter received from The American College of Surgeons, the organization commended Ben Taub "on its success and on its continued commitment to provide excellent care to its injured patients."

"The ultimate benefactors of this recognition by the American College of Surgeons are the injured patients of Houston, Harris County, and the surrounding Gulf Coast region," says Dr. Kenneth Mattox, chief of staff at Ben Taub General Hospital. "The cutting-edge information, technology and techniques developed at Ben Taub result in improved patient care for our patients and trauma patients around the world."

Ben Taub Hospital is a 588-bed facility, and is one of the nation's top trauma centers. Approximately 80 percent of Ben Taub's inpatients are admitted as emergencies. Last year, Ben Taub's trauma center handled more than 100,000 emergency patient visits. Ben Taub had more than 23,500 admissions in 1999 and more than 143,000 specialty clinic visits.

Thanks, in part, to Ben Taub's high volume of emergency visits, the hospital was selected in 1999 to house the U.S. military's Joint Trauma Training Center (JTTC). The JTTC provides medical personnel from all branches of the U.S. military the necessary medical experience needed for forward combat medical operations.

- BRYAN McLEOD

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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