The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has announced that it will permanently discontinue in-person site visits for trauma center verification. Starting in 2021, all verification visits will be conducted remotely in a virtual format. ACS leaders also reported that they will soon finalize major revisions to the college’s trauma center standards.
The upcoming changes were previewed during the 2020 TQIP Annual Scientific Meeting and Training, which took place online December 7-10. During the “New Approach to Verification” session, leaders of the Verification Review Committee (VRC) explained the new site visit process and outlined several changes to trauma center requirements. All trauma verification site visits will be virtual After the ACS suspended verification site visits in March 2020, the VRC developed plans to restructure the review process for remote technology. The VRC then piloted a virtual site visit process at three U.S. trauma centers.
Read the full announcement HERE.
See the newsletter HERE
Please visit the Texas EMS Trauma News website to see more.
See the newsletter HERE
Please visit the Stop The Bleed website to see more.
See the newsletter HERE
Please visit the Texas Perinatal Services website to see more.
As the State of Texas continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that the state’s hospital regions—known as Trauma Service Areas—have the hospital capacity to serve the needs of Texans. On September 17, Governor Abbott issued Executive Order GA-31 to continue important protections for hospital capacity.
The Department of State Health Services reports that, for the past seven days, the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients in Trauma Service Area G has exceeded 15% of total hospital capacity, making it an area with high hospitalizations as defined by Governor Abbott’s October 8, 2020, Proclamation amending Executive Order GA-31. Based on this information, as of December 21, 2020, all licensed hospitals located in Trauma Service Area G are required to postpone elective surgeries as set forth in Executive Order GA-31. Trauma Service Area G includes the following counties: Anderson, Camp, Cherokee, Franklin, Freestone, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Houston, Marion, Panola, Rains, Rusk, Shelby, Smith, Trinity, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood.
Read the full .PDF statement HERE.
No matter how rapid the arrival of professional emergency responders, bystanders will always be first on the scene. A person who is bleeding can die from blood loss within five minutes, therefore it is important to quickly stop the blood loss.
Regional Advisory Councils (RACs) are the administrative bodies responsible for trauma system oversight within the bounds of a given Trauma Service Area in Texas. Each of the 22 RACs is tasked with developing, implementing, and monitoring a regional emergency medical service trauma system plan.
Read More...The purpose of a Regional Advisory Council (RAC) is to develop, implement and monitor a regional emergency medical services (EMS) trauma system plan to facilitate trauma system networking within its Trauma Service Area (TSA) or group of TSAs. RAC membership may include hospitals, physicians, nurses, EMS providers, rehabilitation facilities, dispatchers, as well as other community groups.
The Omnibus Rural Health Care Rescue Act, passed in 1989, directed the Bureau of Emergency Management of the Texas Department of Health to develop and implement statewide emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma care system, designate trauma facilities, and develop a trauma registry to monitor the system and provide statewide cost and epidemiological statistics.
The trauma system was initially adopted by the Texas Board of Health in accordance with Senate Bill 530, Health & Safety Code, Chapter 773 (Emergency Medical Services), whereby the state was divided into twenty-two regions called Trauma Service Areas (Texas Administrative Code § Rule 157.122), provided for the formation of a Regional Advisory Council (Texas Administrative Code § Rule 157.123).
The functions of Regional Advisory Councils (RAC) were to develop and implement a regional EMS/trauma system plan, provide public information and education about prevention of trauma and a trauma system, provide a forum for EMS providers and hospitals to address trauma service area issues, network with other regional advisory councils, and document and report trauma system data that meets trauma service criterion.
If you are new to the assistance request process, the following instructions will assist you with obtaining PPE, Staffing, and Equipment Requests:
For all PPE requests through the STAR (State of Texas Assistance Request) Program, please follow the instructions below:
(Be sure you have downloaded and saved a copy of the PPE request form to your computer before proceeding, and that you have created your unique user ID as instructed under the "How To" section above)
For all Staffing requests through the STAR (State of Texas Assistance Request) Program, please follow the instructions below:
(Be sure you have downloaded and saved a copy of the STAFFING REQUEST FORM to your computer before proceeding, and that you have created your unique user ID as instructed under the "How To" section above)
For all Ventilator & O2 Concentrator Equipment requests through the STAR (State of Texas Assistance Request) Program, please follow the instructions below:
(Be sure you have downloaded and saved a copy of the VENT/O2 and PROPERTY AGREEMENT forms to your computer before proceeding, and that you have created your unique user ID as instructed under the "How To" section above)
Hospitals and healthcare professionals should follow their normal process of trying to locate emergency medical supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE), and other healthcare resources with their regular vendors and exhaust all possible options. These options may include contacting any sister facilities for coordination, reaching out to local partners or stakeholders, looking at any possible reallocations within the Public Health Region, Healthcare Coalition, Regional Advisory Council regions, or other medical supply agencies, given established priority groups. If hospitals and healthcare professionals cannot obtain any PPE from their vendor(s) and have exhausted all alternative options, they should send their official requests to their local office of emergency management via the STAR process. Please ensure you provide all relevant details for your request, to include type of item, POC information, and delivery address.
Upcoming Events, Meetings & Trainings
In recognition of Brain Injury Awareness Month in March, the Texas Brain Injury Programs at the Health and Human Services Commission will offer a FREE virtual 2021 Texas Brain Conference and Webinar Series. The theme is "Bridging Silos: Connecting Systems of Care with a Person-Centered Approach." Click on the respective link to register for each session.
Each Wednesday in March from 12:00-1:00 p.m. Central time, the Texas Brain Injury Webinar Series will feature the following topics:
• Session 1 – March 3: Introduction of Person-Centered Thinking Principles and Brain Injury
• Session 2 – March 10: Co-occurring Disorders: Substance Use and Brain Injury
• Session 3 – March 17: Brain Injury among the Veteran Population
• Session 4 – March 24: Correlations with Domestic Violence and Brain Injury
• Session 5 – March 31: Bridging the Silos - National and State Initiatives
In addition, the Texas Brain Injury Conference will feature brain injury-related topics:
• Session 1 – March 25, 2021 from 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Central time
- Stroke and Cardiovascular Disease
- Brain Injury and Health Disparities/Racial Equity
- Brain Injury and Vocational Rehabilitation
• Session 2 – March 26, 2021 from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Central time
- Brain Injury: Criminal and Juvenile Justice
- Mental Health and Emotional Needs Following a Brain Injury
- Acquired Brain Injuries-Educational Needs for Students
We are excited to have state and national experts share information on brain injury, person-centered planning and bridging silos for attendees. All activities will be free and open to the public. Continuing education credit for multiple disciplines will be provided for these events. Full details for the webinar series and conference will be provided soon.
If you need an accommodation or additional information, please contact the Office of Acquired Brain Injury at OABI@hhsc.state.tx.us
Please join us as we present our 2nd annual stroke symposium. Attendees will be able to increase awareness of stroke prevention, risk factors and treatment options, in both acute and post-acute settings. Virtual Conference ONLY. Brought to you by CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System.
The 2021 Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies (TCHMB) Summit has been scheduled for February 11-12, 2021. This coming year, we’re going virtual. Registration for the 2021 TCHMB Virtual Summit opens on November 12, 2020 at 12:00 PM CST, and closes on January 25, 2021 at 5:00 PM CST. The main Summit will take place February 11-12, 2021. In advance of the Summit, TCHMB will also host three pre-sessions on February 10, 2021. Register HERE.
Upcoming RAC-G FY21 Meetings
RAC-G Perinatal & Womens Health Committee Meeting. Agenda TBD.
Piney Woods Regional Advisory Council Executive Board Meeting. Agenda TBA.
Piney Woods Regional Advisory Council Executive Board Meeting. Agenda TBA.
Piney Woods Regional Advisory Council General-HCC Assembly Meeting. Agenda HERE.
Piney Woods Regional Advisory Council General-HCC Assembly Meeting. Agenda TBA.
Piney Woods Regional Advisory Council General-HCC Assembly Meeting. Agenda TBA.
Download the membership application and fee schedule HERE.
RAC-G continues to build a roster of volunteers from our retired medical community. Should the need arise, we want to be ready. We thank you in advance for your willingness to serve.
Fill out the volunteer form HERE.
Meet our team behind the scenes
sheryl@rac-g.org
loretta@rac-g.org
beth@rac-g.org
hannah@rac-g.org
michael@rac-g.org
brandon@rac-g.org
eric@rac-g.org
aaron@rac-g.org
Pandemic Response Team
Contact us through one of the options below.
100 E. Ferguson St. Suite 708, Tyler, TX. 75701
General: info@rac-g.org
Website: support@rac-g.org
Office 903.593.4722
Fax 903.593.5092
