Hendrick Medical Center earns Level II trauma designation

Hendrick Medical Center (HMC) in north Abilene is proud to announce its Level II Trauma Center designation, marking a milestone for Hendrick Health that strengthens its role as a regional healthcare provider. With this higher-level designation, HMC can provide initial definitive trauma care for a wide range of injuries and levels of severity and take on additional leadership responsibilities in the region related to trauma education and disaster planning.

"We are able to care for more trauma patients closer to home instead of transferring them to centers far from Abilene," said surgeon Erin Woller, MD, medical director for Trauma Services at HMC. "If someone is seriously injured in a car crash, fall, workplace accident or other traumatic event, HMC has the teams and resources ready to respond 24 hours a day."

Level II designation confirms that HMC has trauma surgeons and operating room personnel available in-house 24/7. Additional support teams available include radiology, laboratory, pharmacy, blood bank and intensive care. HMC is the highest-level trauma center along Interstate 20 between Fort Worth and Midland.

Five years ago, Hendrick Health began pursuing Level II designation. Enhancements included building a Trauma and Acute Care Surgery team to provide in-house surgical care 24/7, adding two traumatologists (orthopedic surgeons specializing in advanced trauma injuries), creating a trauma-specific nursing team in the Emergency Department (ED) and working with emergency medical services (EMS) to adopt uniform protocols for trauma patients.

After the American College of Surgeons (ACS) verified that HMC has the team, equipment, services and processes in place to provide timely care for trauma patients, the Texas Department of State Health Services granted HMC the Level II designation in September 2026.

While trauma care begins in the prehospital setting or in the ED, Hendrick Trauma Services monitors each patient's care through recovery and discharge, and participates in the ACS Trauma Quality Improvement Program to collect data to help hospitals make clinical improvements.

Hendrick Trauma Services continually reviews patient care, measures outcomes and educates caregivers to improve trauma care and patient outcomes. In addition, the team partners with local and area emergency services agencies, other first responders and regional providers to enhance trauma care.