HOUSTON, Dec. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute is proud to announce Joseph Love, D.O., trauma surgeon and associate professor of surgery at UTHealth, as the new Medical Director of Memorial Hermann Life Flight®.
After founding Life Flight in 1976, the late James H. "Red" Duke, Jr., M.D., trauma surgeon at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center (TMC) and John B. Holmes Professor of Clinical Sciences at UTHealth Medical School, served as the program's first and only Medical Director until 2015. The Medical Director provides clinical oversight for flight crews by developing and maintaining best practice medical protocols, reviewing patient records for appropriate application of medical care, preparing for flight review, and mentoring where appropriate. In addition, he or she is responsible for educating the crews and setting the tone for research, quality improvement and professional development within the Life Flight program.
"It's an honor to join such a distinguished team that has been delivering safe, quality patient care in the Houston skies for nearly 40 years," Love said. "Trauma care truly is such a team effort and I am excited to get to work alongside so many experienced, highly-skilled professionals as we provide life-saving support to the residents of Southeast Texas and beyond."
Love received his undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado and his doctoral degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his residency and fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas before joining the Texas Trauma Institute and UTHealth in 2012. He is also a U.S. Air Force veteran and married father of six.
"It was important to us that we found the perfect fit for the Medical Director position," said Tom Flanagan, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Memorial Hermann-TMC. "Dr. Love is well-respected by the staff, while his military background and medical expertise make him an ideal choice for the role. We are confident that, under his clinical leadership, Life Flight will carry on its long-time commitment to excellence and the highest safety standards."
Life Flight serves the Greater Houston area within a 150-mile radius of Memorial Hermann-TMC. The program, the only hospital-based air ambulance service in Houston, retrieves critically ill or injured patients and brings them to the Texas Trauma Institute where they can receive expert care. Life Flight has flown over 140,000 missions since its inception.
About Memorial Hermann
An integrated health system, Memorial Hermann is known for world-class clinical expertise, patient-centered care, leading edge technology, and innovation. The system, with its exceptional medical staff and more than 23,000 employees, serves to advance health in Southeast Texas and the Greater Houston community. Memorial Hermann's 13 hospitals include four hospitals in the Texas Medical Center: an acute care hospital which houses the Texas Trauma Institute and a Level I trauma center of which Life Flight® air ambulance is a part, a hospital for children, a rehabilitation hospital and an orthopedic and spine hospital; eight suburban hospitals; and a second rehabilitation hospital in Katy. The system also operates three Heart & Vascular Institutes, the Mischer Neuroscience Institute, three IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute locations, joint replacement centers, cancer centers, imaging and surgery centers, sports medicine and rehabilitation centers, outpatient laboratories, a chemical dependency treatment center, a home health agency, a retirement community and a nursing home. As an Accountable Care Organization, the system also offers employers health solutions and health benefit plans through its wholly owned Memorial Hermann Health Insurance Company.
Media Contact:
Drew Munhausen // 713.704.5547
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SOURCE Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute
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