South Texas is extremely fortunate to enjoy a unique civilian-military partnership that provides not only the very best care to those who suffer life-threatening injuries, but also works together to improve that care through research and trauma system development. This partnership has greatly improved the survival odds in one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation.
University Hospital and Brooke Army Medical Center, or BAMC, are the two Level I trauma centers in our region. BAMC, which has provided civilian trauma care for decades, is unique in that it’s the only Level I designated trauma center/military hospital in the world. In other parts of the country, military surgeons hone their skills in civilian hospitals. In San Antonio, they have a first-rate trauma center of their own.
Brian Eastridge, MD
Chief of Trauma and Emergency Surgery
Professor, Department of Surgery
UT Health San Antonio
The value of that partnership was evident on Sunday, Nov. 5, when both University Hospital and BAMC were alerted to the worst mass shooting in Texas history, in the small town of Sutherland Springs, about 30 miles southeast of San Antonio. Together, the two hospitals treated 17 patients. Connally Memorial Medical Center in Floresville received eight, transferring four to University Hospital. And EMS responders saved many of those patients by effective bleeding control at the scene. You
can read more about our response to that tragedy elsewhere in this report. It is worth noting, however, that the combination of a sophisticated trauma system in our region — the result of decades of hard work, investment and cooperation — along with the superbly trained trauma teams at both institutions, saved lives that day, and in the days that followed.
The military’s continued investment in trauma care at BAMC is partly dependent on having adequate numbers of cases to maintain the skills of their doctors, nurses and support staff, and to support their lifesaving research — all of which benefits our region and our fighting forces. In other cities, competitive forces have led rivate hospitals to seek a higher trauma level designation. We hope our state officials and elected leaders will take note of our unique situation and its importance to the nation. While we believe competition is generally a good thing, in the care of life-threatening injuries it can have unintended consequences.
The military’s trauma mission has greatly shaped University Hospital and its academic partner, UT Health San Antonio. Some of the military’s most distinguished alumni — experts who have redesigned the care that wounded soldiers receive, making survival from battlefield injuries much more likely — have joined our team after retiring from active duty. They include Dr. Donald Jenkins, one of the architects of the military’s redesigned wartime trauma system; and Dr. Basil Pruitt, who served for many years as head of the famed Army Institute of Surgical Research at Joint Base Fort Sam Houston, and led improvements in burn care that are now standard practice around the world. Dr. Ramon Cestero and Dr. Deborah Mueller, too, came to us with invaluable experience from their military service. I, too, made that leap. My years of service, which included four stints as director of the U.S. CENTCOM Joint Theater Trauma System during Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom, gave me skills and experience I use each day to serve the people of South Texas. Last year, I took over as division chief of trauma and emergency surgery from Dr.
John Myers, who was promoted to vice chair for clinical operations in the Department of Surgery at UT Health. I am grateful for Dr. Myers’ leadership and look forward to continuing his good work in maintaining our role as one of the top trauma programs in the nation.
Thank you for taking time to read this community report and for your interest in helping build a safer community.