Dallas

First Level I Trauma Center Opens in Collin County

Residents in Collin County now have a Level I trauma center in their own backyard at Medical City Plano.

A Level I trauma center provides the highest level of care to patients.

Matthew Carrick, the trauma center medical director at Medical City Plano, explained traditional emergency rooms can take care of things like cuts and sprained ankles, a Level I trauma center can take treat someone who was shot or in a major car crash with head injuries and internal bleeding.

The center will always have trauma surgeons in-house and the operating room ready to take care of patients immediately when they arrive.

Carrick said trauma doctors have a term called the “golden hour” when they have about an hour to save someone’s life.

"If we have a trauma center right here where people are getting injured, we don't have to spend all that time in transport," he said. "We can spend that time in the operating room, getting the bleeding under control within an hour."

He said patients that usually have to take an ambulance or helicopter to trauma centers in Dallas or Fort Worth can now save time having a Level I trauma center closer to them.

The center will also help families in the area who are visiting their loved ones in the hospital. They will no longer have to deal with commuting and traffic to get to them.

Online: Trauma Center Levels Explained

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