IGR committee presses for data and STRAC coordination to protect Brooke Army Medical Center

The Intergovernmental Relations Committee on Sept. 29 heard a briefing on a proposed resolution to reaffirm the city's commitment to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) amid changes in the regional trauma system. Scott Jackson, director of the city's Military and Veterans Affairs division, told members "BAMC is unique inside DOD" and emphasized the facility's role in training, readiness and receiving U.S. casualties.

Jackson said San Antonio has 15 trauma-designated facilities, two certified as Level 1, and that Methodist Healthcare has signaled intent to pursue higher trauma designation. He said the city convened hospital CEOs and STRAC (Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council), and relayed Methodist's position: "It was about patient choice," Scott Jackson said, summarizing Methodist's explanation that patients should be able to remain in the Methodist system if they choose.

The proposed resolution restates a 2017 council position favoring BAMC as one of the city's Level 1 centers; it calls for an objective demand-and-capacity study, asks STRAC to facilitate a collaborative agreement among Methodist, University Health and BAMC, and urges that BAMC's mission be considered in future trauma-system changes.

Council members asked for specific data before advancing a formal position. "I have more questions than answers right now," said Councilmember Adoreta Guido, urging statistics on trauma patient load, transfer counts and year-over-year trends. Committee members agreed to bring STRAC and health-system partners back to provide empirical evidence and to return the item at a future IGR meeting before placing a resolution on the full-council agenda.

The committee did not take a committee vote on the resolution at this meeting; members described the next step as a data-driven briefing and possible referral to full council following additional presentations.