JPS is the only Level I Trauma Center in Tarrant County
July 11, 2022, Fort Worth — JPS leaders are proud to announce that the health network has been re-verified as a Level I Trauma Center – the highest of four levels – by the American College of Trauma Surgeons Committee on Trauma.
JPS is the only Level I Trauma facility in Tarrant County and is one of just 20 such designated facilities in Texas.
This is the fourth time the designation has been renewed since JPS was originally named a Level I Trauma Center in 2009 by the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS). The designation lasts until 2025.
This re-verification means that JPS continues to lead Tarrant County and surrounding areas in the field of trauma care.
“Every person deserves to have timely access to exceptional trauma care. The Level I Trauma program is an important distinction for JPS and is reflective of JPS Health Network’s commitment to providing the highest level of service to our community,” said Trauma Medical Director Rajesh Gandhi, MD, PhD, FACS, FCCM. “To JPS, the Level I designation is a source of pride and shows the community that we are dedicated to comprehensive trauma care.”
Having a Level I Trauma Center in Tarrant County ensures our community has access to the highest acuity and quality of trauma care.
“As a Level I Trauma Center, JPS provides the most comprehensive trauma care, and ensures that every specialist, nursing unit, and support service that is involved in a patient encounter is prepared to address the specialty needs of injured patients,” said Cassie Lyell, DNP, RN, TCRN, Executive Director, JPS Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, & Forensic Nursing Services. “Essentially, every department at JPS contributes to the Trauma Center.”
Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1987, the College of Trauma Surgeons’ Consultation and Verification Program for Hospitals promotes the development of trauma centers in which participants provide not only the hospital resources necessary for trauma care but also the entire spectrum of care to address the needs of all injured patients from the prehospital phase through the rehabilitation process.”
The re-verification process is rigorous. A team of four surveyors – two trauma surgeons, one emergency physician, and one trauma nurse leader – review patient care, interview staff, and tour JPS. That group, and then the Committee on Trauma, verify that JPS is meeting all 311 criteria to be a Level I Trauma Center.
In addition to trauma patient care, JPS Trauma Services provides injury and violence prevention programs such as Stop the Bleed courses for the public, offers trauma education for clinicians, and sponsors a national Annual Trauma Symposium.
About JPS Health Network:
The Tarrant County Hospital District, known as JPS Health Network, is a tax-supported organization serving the healthcare needs of families in Tarrant County. Home to Tarrant County’s only Level I Trauma Center, JPS provides adult inpatient care at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas and offers comprehensive services including primary care, behavioral health, and pharmacy at more than 25 community locations. JPS is governed by an 11-member Board of Managers, whose members are appointed by the Tarrant County Commissioners Court.
JPS was named the Best Hospital for America by Washington Monthly magazine and the Lown Institute in 2020, and Outstanding Healthcare System by D CEO Magazine.
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