Frequently Asked Questions

The Texas “J” Regional Advisory Council (“J” RAC) is an organization of local citizens representing all health care entities within Texas Trauma Service Area “J” (TSA J). Participants include hospitals, physicians, nurses, emergency medical service (EMS) providers and other individuals interested in trauma care.

Trauma Service Area J (TSA J) is one of 22 regions the State of Texas uses to organize its trauma system. TSA J is in West Texas, centered on the Midland/Odessa area, and includes 17 counties.

Seventeen counties are included in Trauma Service Area J.

The “J” RAC was chartered by the Texas Department of Health Bureau of Emergency Management to develop, implement and monitor regional emergency services and to oversee trauma system networking.

In 1992 the Texas Board of Health divided the state into 22 regions called trauma service areas, and a regional advisory council was formed in each region to develop and implement the trauma system for that region. Because no funding was available at first, the councils were formed and the work was done by dedicated volunteers in many medical professions.

The goal is to fully implement the statewide trauma system in order to reduce the number of trauma incidents, preventable deaths and the severity of trauma-related disability, and to make sure that all Texas trauma victims receive the best care possible.

Yes. In recent years the RAC has also been helping hospitals make sure they are prepared to respond to a bioterrorism attack or a wide-scale natural disaster.

A RAC develops, implements and monitors a regional EMS and trauma system plan. Its functions include public information and education about trauma prevention, a forum for EMS providers and hospitals to address trauma service area issues, networking with other RACs, and documenting and reporting trauma system data. Read the RAC operation guidelines.

There are 22, one for each Trauma Service Area, labeled A through V. TXJRAC is RAC J, serving the Midland/Odessa region. See the full list of Texas RACs.

TXJRAC is guided by an Executive Board of hospital and EMS leaders from across TSA J, with Executive Chair Sirena Watts, BSN, RN, TCRN. Danny Updike, RN, LP, serves as Executive Director. Meet the Executive Board.

Participant volunteers are hospitals, physicians, nurses, EMS providers and other individuals interested in trauma care. The Executive Board includes rural and urban EMS and hospital representatives. To ask about participating, contact the Executive Director.

The bylaws and standard operating procedures and the TXJRAC Trauma Plan are linked on the Documents page, along with yearly applications, the EMS county pass-through, the change of representative form, the expense report and the TXJRAC request form.

The Concern Form lets an entity resolve an issue with another entity or get a concern answered. The completed form goes to the TXJRAC Executive Director, who forwards it to the other entity for a response, and the process continues until the concern is resolved. Download the Concern Form (Word).

A concern remains between the entities involved and the TXJRAC Executive Director, unless outside expertise is required to resolve the issue.

Meeting materials are kept in a shared folder linked from the Meeting Documents page.

Newsletter issues are kept in the TXJRAC Newsletter folder.

Performance improvement (PI) submissions are made through online forms linked on the Documents page: trauma and cardiac/stroke for hospitals, trauma for EMS, and trauma plus Stop the Bleed and other measures for air medical services.

Required hospital bed data by Trauma Service Area is published through the Texas Department of State Health Services Hospital Preparedness Program.

TXJRAC keeps a shared folder of approved classes and conferences for providers in the region.

Three training videos cover the neonatal go bag: an introduction to the bag, respiratory support and newborn warming. They are designed for healthcare professionals and caregivers. Watch the neonatal training videos.

Stop the Bleed is a nationwide campaign that teaches bystanders to act quickly when someone is bleeding. A person who is bleeding can die from blood loss within five minutes, and bystanders are almost always first on the scene. Learn more at Stop the Bleed Texas.

A prehospital blood program equips ambulances and medical helicopters with blood products so trained EMS personnel can begin transfusions at the scene of an emergency or during transport. Read more about prehospital blood programs.

Yes. Blood used in prehospital settings follows the same strict national safety standards required in hospitals. It is screened and tested, protocols are in place to prevent transfusion reactions and errors, and licensed physicians and trauma experts oversee all medical protocols.

Most EMS programs carry low-titer O-positive whole blood. O-type blood can be used in emergencies for patients of any blood type, and “low-titer” means the donor blood contains very low levels of antibodies.

Donate blood regularly at your local blood center, encourage friends, family and coworkers to donate, and help spread awareness. Every unit of donated blood can save up to three lives.

Call (325) 456-2370, email [email protected], write to PO Box 60125, San Angelo, TX 76906, or use the contact form.

No. TXJRAC is a regional planning and coordination organization and does not dispatch emergency services. In an emergency, call 911.