St. David's South Austin Poised To Become Level II Trauma Center

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX -- St. David's South Austin Medical Center is poised to become a Level II trauma center.

This week, the facility assembled the last bit of needed equipment to achieve that designation, Fox 7 reports. The actual certification making it official could take up to a year, but the medical team already has begun treating the most critical of patients given its newly found capabilities.

A hospital official said the enhancements are necessary to meet a growing Austin population.

"Our Emergency Department over the last year we just crested 110,000 emergency department visits," hospital CEO Todd Steward told the television station. "That's about a 3 percent growth.

Steward said the hospital has begun the process for Level II trauma certification through the American College of Surgeons and a separate designation from the state.

"Trauma doesn't discriminate," he said. "It can happen to you or me no matter what you're planning. When you're the victim of a traumatic injury you want that kind of care available immediately."