Published in SMU's Daily Campus Trauma Tower Reaches New Heights In South Dallas By Samantha Peltier

The Charles A. Sammons Trauma and Critical Care Tower at Methodist Dallas Medical Center will bring new jobs and better health care to the people of South Dallas.

Dallas has a population of about 1.2 million people and only three level I trauma centers. This means that there is an overwhelming 400,000 people for every one level I trauma center. Of those three, none are on the south side of I-30, which is most commonly known as the dividing line between North and South Dallas. "With limited access to critical health care in southern Dallas County and only three major adult trauma centers in Dallas, overcrowded emergency departments are delaying care," Laura Irvine, Methodist Dallas Medical Center president, said. Ground was broken on Sept. 11, 2012 on the planned six-story Charles A. Sammons Trauma and Critical Care Tower at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. With a completion date set in the summer of 2014, this soon-to-be 248,000 square foot trauma center will bring important medical services to South Dallas. The project is part of GrowSouth, a plan by Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to rejuvenate South Dallas around Oak Cliff. This area is known for its gang violence and crimes. The plan, which began February of this year, includes strengthening neighborhoods, creating a clean culture and creating creative financial and investment funds. "The Sammons Trauma and Critical Care Tower [brings] improved access to medical resources for residents of Oak Cliff," Shawn Williams, deputy chief of staff for Rawlings, said.

Currently a level II trauma center, Methodist Dallas Medical Center's Emergency and Trauma Center sees around 1,500 trauma patients and over 60,000 emergency patients each year. This 25,000 square foot facility located on North Beckley Avenue south of I-30 was last renovated in 1999. The medical center also has multi-organ transplant services, nationally rated high-risk infant care and neuro-critical care. The trauma tower will expand Methodist Dallas Medical Center's emergency department tenfold increasing from 25,000 square feet to 248,000 square feet. The tower is planned to house 58 new emergency room beds, six trauma suites, eight surgical suits and a 36-bed critical care unit. There will also be the option of expanding the tower to have 11 stories in the future. "Expanded services of the Charles A. Sammons Trauma and Critical Care Tower will help us meet critical care needs and continue Methodist's mission of providing compassionate, quality health care to those who need it most," Irvine said. Methodist Dallas Medical Center is the first South Dallas county organization to make an investment of more than $100 million in recent years, with the trauma tower's estimated price tag of about $108 million. As a part of Mayor Rawlings' GrowSouth plan, the trauma tower will help "rebrand" South Dallas. "The new facilities will provide more jobs in the area, which is an important component of Mayor Rawlings' GrowSouth plan," Williams said. The medical center has an ultimate goal to raise $20 million to support the building of the trauma tower. Kathryn Allen, vice president of development for the Methodist Health System Foundation, said that Methodist's objective is to raise a minimum of 10 percent of the building cost for the trauma tower through philanthropic

gifts. It has received $1 million from the Robert S. Folsom family; Pete and Pat Schenkel gave $1 million; and more than $750,000 was given in honor of the late Norman Brinker who created restaurant concepts such as the salad bar. "In 1974, The Sammons Dallas Foundation developed a planned gift that has benefited Methodist Health System every year since that time," Allen said. "The goal of the [$20 million] gift is that Methodist will be able to continue their mission of helping improve the quality of life and making a difference to the people of Dallas in need." The Sammons Dallas Foundation donated $5 million to the trauma center. Charles A. Sammons, a businessman in oil, cable and bottled water, was said to believe that the worth of his business is measured by its contributions to society. The Sammons Dallas Foundation was created to honor the late Charles Sammons and his commitment to improve education, support medicine and to help the community.