Level IV Trauma Center

Our Emergency Department has been designated a Level IV Trauma Center by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Level IV means certification by the State of Texas to provide basic stabilization and treatment of trauma patients. This achievement recognizes our dedication to providing the highest quality care for injured patients. All patients in the ER are triaged, meaning those with life-threatening injuries or illnesses will be seen first.

There are 32 rooms in the Emergency Department:

• 3 trauma/critical care rooms
• 2 OB/GYN
• 15 general observation rooms
• 6 fast-track rooms
• 2 triage rooms
• 4 holding rooms

In addition to an emergency physician available 24 hours a day 7 days a week, we have fast-track services during peak hours. This provides a second physician responsible for the care of minor illnesses and injuries, improving access to health care services.

Mission Regional Medical Center takes senior emergency care to the next level in Hidalgo County as we are now accredited as a Geriatric Emergency Department by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). Mission Regional Medical Center is the only institution in the entire Rio Grande Valley with this accreditation which recognizes that this institution is focused on the highest standards of care for our communities’ older adults.

The Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) program is the culmination of years of progress in the emergency care of older adults. In 2014, ACEP along with Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Emergency Nurses Association, and American Geriatrics Society, developed and released geriatric ED guidelines, recommending measures ranging from adding geriatric-friendly equipment to specialized staff to more routine screening for delirium, dementia, and fall risk, among other vulnerabilities.

The voluntary GEDA program provides specific criteria and goals for emergency clinicians and administrators to target. In order to receive accreditation, an emergency department must incorporate a number of best practices for geriatric care, along with inter-disciplinary geriatric education, and have geriatric-appropriate equipment and supplies available.

Some of the best practices embraced by geriatric emergency departments include:

• Ensuring geriatric-focused education and interdisciplinary staffing
• Providing standardized approaches to care that address common geriatric issues
• Ensuring optimal transitions of care from the ED to other settings (inpatient, home, community-based care, rehabilitation, long-term care)
• Promoting geriatric-focused quality improvement and enhancements of the physical environment and supplies
• Highly skilled Pharmacists are readily accessible at our patient’s bedside to answer any questions on their medications.