Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System will invest at least $20 million in facility upgrades and staffing for its Southwest Hospital as it converts the Houston hospital into a Level II trauma center, according to the Houston Business Journal.
Half of the money will finance renovations, such as building out two intensive care units and an operating suite dedicated to neurosurgery and trauma. The remaining half of the money will be used to hire additional physicians and staff to operate the Level II trauma wing, Gary Kerr, senior vice president and CEO of Memorial Hermann Southwest, told the Houston Business Journal.
The health system expects to add 50 employees and seven affiliated neurosurgery and orthopedic physicians to the hospital, but that number could grow to as many as 150 new employees within two years, according to the report.
If Memorial Hermann's Southwest Hospital receives Level II accreditation from the American College of Surgeons, it would be one of only four Level II facilities in the greater Houston area, according to the report.