Piney Woods Regional Advisory Council (RAC-G)

Trauma Service Area G (TSA-G)

OUR PURPOSE

The purpose of developing and participating in the Piney Woods Regional Trauma Plan is to facilitate coordination of patient care for critically injured patients through TSAG and other surrounding counties.The Plan has been developed under the direction of the Texas Department of Health Bureau of Emergency Management’s procedures and standards for implementation of a comprehensive statewide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Trauma System as mandated in the Health and Safety Code, chapter 773, 81-90. Healthcare volunteers whose sole purpose is to develop a mechanism to enhance the care rendered to critically injured patients in TSA-G developed and annually review the Regional Trauma Plan.

Each patient is a unique individual, and each patient’s medical condition will be equally unique. Scenarios for his or her care will almost always vary because of the unique nature of each person and the conditions causing the injury, even in the same geographical area or institution.

These guidelines are suggestions only. It is our intention to enhance patient care and maximize the number of clinical outcomes possible. The actual treatment of any patient is the responsibility of the caregivers, both before and during hospitalization. Clinical decisions must be made based on the specific medical condition of the individual, what is believed best for him or her and the patient’s choice, if known.

This document is not intended to establish a legal standard of care for treatment of any medical condition or services rendered by any emergency medical technician, hospital, physician or patient. This is an aid to decision making in general clinical scenarios. It does not constitute medical advice for or to any individual.

The purpose of participation in the Regional Trauma Plan is to facilitate coordination of a regional system for trauma patient care. Nothing contained in this plan, and no acts by a participant under the Regional Trauma Plan, shall be construed as creating the relationship of a joint venture, partnership, principal/agent or employer/employee between or among any of its participants.

Each and every participant in the Regional Trauma Plan is solely responsible for its own activities, and each shall indemnify and hold harmless all other participants in the Regional Trauma Plan, including but not limited to, Trauma Directors, Trauma Nurse Coordinators and Project Medical Directors that participants function under, from any loss, costs of defenses or settlement arising out of its own negligence or wrongful acts.

ABOUT THE REGION

Trauma Service Area-G (TSA-G) extends from the prairies of the Blackland Belt in its westernmost region to the heavily wooded eastern Pine Belt area at its eastern border. The region is a 19-county, 13,609.2 square-mile area of East Texas spanning three different natural geographic regions. A larger percentage of TSA-G lies within the Pine Belt of eastern Texas. This area includes the counties of Marion, Harrison, Panola, Rusk, Shelby, Trinity, Gregg, Upshur, Cherokee, Freestone, Houston and the eastern portions of Anderson, Henderson, Smith, Wood and Camp counties. The western portions of the latter five counties are in the Post Oak Belt, a transitional region between the highly forested Pine Belt and the Blackland Belt.

Franklin County, which is the northernmost county in TSA-G, crosses both the Post Oak Belt in the southern two-thirds of the county and the Blackland Belt in its upper one-third. Rains and Van Zandt Counties also cross two different regions, with the western portion of the counties in the Blackland Belt and the eastern portions in the Post Oak Belt.

TSA-G has an abundant water supply, containing tributaries of some of the major rivers in Texas and many lakes of varying sizes. The Pine Belt region is the source for almost all of Texas’ large commercial timber production. A great oil field, discovered in Gregg, Rusk and Smith counties in 1931, has contributed heavily to the economic growth in the area, especially during the first half of the Twentieth Century. In addition to oil, gas, natural gas, lignite, clay and coal mining, along with sand and gravel production, are active industries in the area. This area also contributes to the beef, dairy cattle and poultry industries. Major crops produced include hay, peaches, pecans, peanuts and sweet potatoes. Due to the number of lakes throughout the region there is an abundance of water sports, including swimming, fishing and various boating activities.

The population of TSA-G is presently estimated at 845,706. With the exception of Smith, Harrison, Henderson and Gregg counties, the remainder of TSA-G is primarily rural, with a population of 379,835 inhabiting a 9581.5 square-mile area. The two largest cities in TSA-G are Tyler in Smith County, with a population of 83,650, and Longview in Gregg County, with a population of 73,344.

Data provided by the Texas Department of Health in 1998 indicated that TSA-G had the third highest death rate from trauma of the 22 Trauma Service Areas in Texas.

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