Baylor Scott & White Medical Center — McKinney

By Steve
Gamel | photos by Amber
Boykin Photography

No one wants to think about the possibility
of themselves or a family member one day being rushed to the closest trauma
center for help with a critical and possibly life-threatening injury. Images
of physicians, nurses, and medical staff quickly flooding a hospital room to
save someone’s life after a vehicle collision, significant fall, or another
traumatic event should only play out on television — not in real life. But
the reality is that these dramatic scenarios happen in trauma centers and
emergency rooms nationwide every day. The trauma center team at Baylor Scott
& White Medical Center — McKinney is one of those facilities charged
with creating miracles, and they pray you never need them. But if you do, you
can trust that they are ready to provide the expert quality of care you need
locally when it matters most.

To prove its commitment to the community and
further entrench itself as a leader in the healthcare industry, Baylor Scott
& White Medical Center — McKinney recently received a Level II
designation for its trauma center from the American College of Surgeons and
Department of State Health Services, making it one of only 27 Level II major
trauma facilities in Texas and one of only three in Collin
County.

BSW McKinney’s trauma medical director, Dr.
Wade Dunlap, said the latest milestone demonstrates an incredible commitment
from the physicians on the medical staff and the nurses and staff members to
elevate the quality of care at the hospital. Furthermore, it solidifies and
doubles down on the hospital’s commitment to treating people where they
live.

“McKinney is an area of significant growth,
and the medical center is growing to meet those increased care needs,” Dr.
Dunlap said. “This designation is the second highest you can receive, and
it’s great for the physicians who practice here. It also shows the community
that no matter what happens or how complex the trauma case may be, our
in-house team is equipped to meet those needs.”

Advanced
Trauma Care

A trauma center is a specialized hospital
distinguished by the immediate availability of personnel, equipment, and
services to treat the most severe and critical injuries. A few of the more
common causes of trauma are significant falls, motor vehicle accidents,
assaults, and shootings. More than 43,000 people visited the emergency department
at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center — McKinney over the past
fiscal year alone, and many of these visits were
trauma-related.

Having a Level II designation is significant
because it requires emergency medicine physicians and nurses at the facility
to have trauma-specific continuing education and certifications that assist
in the stabilization and care of trauma patients. Trauma centers with a Level
II designation can provide decisive care for traumatically injured patients
with immediate coverage from various specialists.

Depending on the need and severity, this can
include general surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, and critical
care staff.

Creating
Miracles

Every scenario and outcome are different, but
Dr. Dunlap said he and the rest of BSW’s trauma center staff live for
creating miracles. One recent example was a patient who was transported to
the hospital after being injured in a car accident. The patient suffered a
head injury and numerous facial fractures. The good news is that the patient
woke up and is now doing significantly better.

“The standards are comprehensive. They want to know what kind of
availability you have for providers, the nursing staff ratios, and your
ability to clean and turn over instruments. They want you to demonstrate your
abilities in the operating room, and trauma surgeons must be in-house and
available 24-7, 365. It’s a long list. You must demonstrate all the things
that come together to handle the most complex cases and care for people 24-7.
Think of the most complicated trauma scenario —

that’s what we do.”

– Dr. Wade
Dunlap

“The patient ultimately recovered, which was
the best news considering the circumstances,” Dr. Dunlap said. “Stories like
that play out in our trauma center every single day, and it makes you feel
good when you can save a life. It’s a team approach — depending on the
severity of the case, there could be 12-15 people in the room ready to go,
from nurses and physicians to anesthesiologists, nurse techs, respiratory
therapists, and more. We pray that no one ever needs us. But if they do, we
are here.”

Where you receive care matters. Baylor Scott
& White Medical Center — McKinney is a Level II trauma center for a
reason, and their team is backed by the breadth, depth, and sophistication of
Baylor Scott & White Health, Texas’ largest not-for-profit healthcare
system.

“We are excited to achieve the Level II
trauma designation,” said Tim Bowen, president of Baylor Scott &
White Medical Center — McKinney. “I commend everyone, including our local EMS
and first responders, who worked diligently to help achieve this Level II
trauma designation. This furthers our mission and commitment to serve the
community.”

Individual results may vary. Physicians
provide clinical services as members of the medical staff at one of Baylor
Scott & White Health’s subsidiary, community, or affiliated medical
centers and do not provide clinical services as employees or agents of those
medical centers or Baylor Scott & White Health. ©2023 Baylor Scott
& White Health.