Serving the Texas Trauma & Emergency Health Care Community

SURVEYS

TETAF has an outstanding team of credentialed surveyors trained to provide trauma, stroke, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and maternal care designation surveys throughout Texas.

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EDUCATION

TETAF offers a variety of educational opportunities throughout the year and is an approved provider of continuing nursing education and
EMS continuing education.

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ADVOCACY

TETAF provides testimony, advises lawmakers and actively pursues legislation to provide the best trauma and emergency health care
for all Texans.

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TETAF Strengthens the Trauma, Stroke, Neonatal, and Maternal Health Care System for Texans

The Texas EMS, Trauma & Acute Care Foundation (TETAF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports the development of the state's trauma, emergency, and perinatal health care system. TETAF provides designation surveys, advocacy, and educational opportunities throughout Texas.

TETAF was granted authority by the Texas Department of State Health Services in 2008 to provide verification surveys for Level III and Level IV designated trauma facilities, and in 2009 the first TETAF staff was hired to begin fully implementing TETAF’s mission. TETAF is now approved to perform trauma, stroke, neonatal, and maternal surveys.

TETAF Survey Update

TETAF believes on-site surveys are optimal to ensure compliance with the standards of care set forth in the Texas Administrative Code (TAC). Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, TETAF has implemented safety precautions to protect surveyors and hospital teams. TETAF always works with each of our hospital partner’s needs and can customize our on-site survey processes to adapt to the unique circumstances for that hospital during this time.

TETAF and our surveyors’ top priority is ensuring healthcare quality in our hospitals.

TETAF News Updates

TETAF Board of Directors Quarterly Meeting

The next quarterly meeting of the TETAF Board of Directors will be Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. CST. This meeting will be held virtually via Zoom.
Register to Attend the TETAF Board of Directors Virtual Meeting

TETAF Board of Directors Election Results

TETAF welcomes Joseph Petty, M.D., FACOG, to the TETAF Board of Directors. Dr. Petty will fulfill the remaining year of a three-year term held by Lisa Hutchins, RN-NIC who resigned from her position on the board due to new employment.

Dr. Petty is the medical director for maternal program and OB hospitalists at Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital in Humble. He also serves as the medical director for BCFS Healthy Start Tyler and is the co-chair of the Quality and Patient Safety Committee for the Society of OBGYN Hospitalists (SOGH). Dr. Petty is also a member of the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council (SETRAC) Perinatal Committee and is a member of the Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies (TCHMB) OB Committee.

The TETAF Board of Directors unanimously approved Dr. Petty's appointment to the board. His one-year term will end in December 2022.

During the December 16 TETAF General Assembly meeting, five nominees were elected to the 2022 TETAF Board of Directors with terms that will expire in 2025. The General Assembly voted to select from the entire slate of 11 nominees with the five highest votes elected to serve on the TETAF Board of Directors.

The individuals elected to the TETAF Board of Directors are:

  • Scott Christopher, BBA, BSN, RN, LP
  • Dan Little, MD
  • Rhonda-Manor Coombes, BSN, RN, TCRN
  • Kathy Perkins, RN, MBA
  • Danny Updike, RN, CCRN, EMT-LP

New to the TETAF Board of Directors are Dan Little and Rhonda Manor-Coombes. Scott Christopher, Kathy Perkins, and Danny Updike will return to the TETAF Board for another term.

TETAF would like to thank our departing board members Nilda Garcia, M.D. and Angela Gentry, RN, MSN, TCRN for their years of commitment and service to the TETAF Board of Directors.

Program Spotlight

Stop the Bleed national campaign

A person who is bleeding can die from blood loss in as little as 5 minutes. Therefore, bystander intervention can be crucial to saving a life.

TETAF supports Stop the Bleed nationally and in Texas. TETAF encourages all trauma and emergency healthcare leaders to utilize these free resources.

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Upcoming TOPIC Courses

Trauma Outcomes and Performance Improvement Course

For more details and to register, click here.

“[Our surveyor] was easy to talk to and was very knowledgeable about trauma care. He was willing to answer my questions by helping me to develop some new ideas to improve care to the patient and proactive involvement with our trauma program."

CHI St. Luke's Health-Memorial

“Everyone at TETAF was super helpful. I was able to reach out at any time I needed help or had questions throughout the whole survey process, including survey days. This made for a more comfortable survey. Thank you all."

Baylor Scott & White Taylor Hospital

“This was my first survey and I feel like I gained a vast amount of knowledge from [our surveyor], thank you."

Memorial Hermann Greater Heights

“Everyone was professional and caring. Any question I had was answered in a timely manner."

Hardeman County Memorial Hospital

“[Our surveyor] gave great feedback during the survey, explaining his thought processes. We liked the strengths and recommendations. It is nice to hear what we are doing good while making recommendations on things we can improve."

Valley Regional Medical Center

“We had a great team of surveyors. In a short time, I got a sense they really understood who we are as an organization.”

El Paso Children's Hospital

“[Our surveyors] did a great job and were very thorough. We had no potential deficiencies!”

UTMB Clear Lake Campus