07.07.2010
St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center Opens Helipad for Transport of Critical Patients
New Location Allows STAR Flight and PHI Air Medical to Transport Critical Patients to the Facility’s Trauma Center
On July 1, St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center opened a new helipad that allows the facility to receive patients arriving via PHI Air Medical Texas, STAR Flight and other aerial emergency services more quickly than in the past.
“For more than two decades the hospital has served Williamson County and large parts of northern Travis County by providing quality health care to patients,” David Martin, M.D., chief medical officer of St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center, said. “With this helipad, working together with STAR Flight, PHI Air Medical and Williamson and Travis County EMS, we will continue to be able to provide the highest quality healthcare in a very timely manner.”
St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center is uniquely located at the northern boundary of Travis County and the southern boundary of Williamson County, placing it in an optimal location for rapid delivery of critically injured patients in both areas.
With significant growth in Williamson County, and an increased volume of traffic, hospital officials wanted to ensure the ease of access for the many patients from across Central Texas in need of urgent care.
“In many critical patient cases, whether it’s an injury from a car accident or a heart attack, time is of the essence to provide the patient with immediate care,” Michael Craun, M.D., trauma medical director at St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center, said. “Patients shouldn’t have to worry about being stuck in traffic during an emergency situation. Fortunately for Central Texans, emergency air transport services can reach patients and transport them to waiting hospitals, no matter what traffic is like on the roadways.”
Until now, emergency helicopters landing at St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center had to hover in the area around the hospital to wait for cars to be cleared from the parking lot. The new helipad location is a dedicated landing area for emergency air transport services, which will decrease the amount of time a helicopter must remain in the air.
“Patients with a variety of urgent healthcare needs will benefit from this helipad,” Martin said. “In the case of a person having a heart attack or being critically injured, prompt care can make the difference between life and death.”
St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center is in the process of earning a Level II Trauma Center designation. The hospital began accepting all levels of trauma patients on January 4, 2010, and has the capability to treat all categories of injured patients. St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center officially began the process the State of Texas requires for designation as a Level II Trauma Center in June 2009.
St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center also specializes in cardiovascular care. With a full-service Heart & Vascular Center and a certified Chest Pain Emergency Center, the hospital provides the latest in protocols and technologies for patients with cardiovascular diseases.
St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center
St. David's Round Rock Medical Center, located in Round Rock at 2400 Round Rock Avenue, is owned by St. David's HealthCare, one of the largest health systems in Texas. With more than 170 beds, this acute care hospital provides comprehensive health services to residents of Williamson County and the surrounding areas. Services include The Heart and Vascular Center with express testing, maternity and newborn services with Level I and II nurseries at The Women's Center, and a thriving emergency department, providing Level II trauma care in Williamson County. St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center is also known for advanced orthopedic and bariatric services, among other complex specialties. For more information, please visit StDavids.com.
