About the Red Duke Trauma Institute

According to the American College of Surgeons (ACS), a trauma occurs every four seconds in the United States. Whether it is a head injury, fracture, severe bleeding, or internal organ injury, traumatic injury remains the leading cause of death and disability for Americans under the age of 44. To combat this grim statistic, trauma centers like the Red Duke Trauma Institute (RDTI) at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center are more important to community health than ever before. 

RDTI is the only institution in Houston with 24/7 adult and pediatric trauma coverage for severely injured patients under one roof. We are also the only verified burn center in the city. At the RDTI, our dedication to specialized service and care demonstrates our desire to put patients first—something we learned from a very special former colleague of ours.

Dr. Duke: A Passion for Putting Patients First

Whether you grew up in the Houston area or have only lived here a short time, you have likely heard of Dr. James “Red” Duke, Jr. MD, the famous trauma surgeon and Texas health care legend. As a trauma surgeon, pioneer, innovator, advocate, educator, mentor, and brilliant man of action, his skilled hands saved countless lives. Dr. Duke’s visionary ideas and passion for people left an indelible mark on Texas, the world, and on us, his colleagues and friends.

For medical professionals in the Houston area, however, Dr. Duke’s true legacy was his impact on the doctor-patient experience. As a medical director for trauma and emergency services at Memorial Hermann, he believed in not just treating patients, but truly caring for them as people. Dr. Duke shared this philosophy with the countless health care professionals he helped to train, who are now caring for their own patients today.

Life-Saving Services at RDTI

At Memorial Hermann, we are proud to honor the legacy of Dr. Duke with our state-of-the-art Red Duke Trauma Institute. Here, we achieve high-quality, patient-centered outcomes by optimizing multidisciplinary care for injured patients. This requires expertise in the collaboration of multiple complementary services, such as:

• The effective and efficient coordination of care with pre-hospital personnel
• Rapid triage, resuscitation, and work-up of traumatically injured patients
• Immediate source control for bleeding patients
• Critical care of traumatically injured patients
• Early rehabilitation

The Red Duke Trauma Institute provides high-quality care to both adult and pediatric patients and offers a full spectrum of services, including:

• Trauma surgery
• Trauma and neurocritical care
• Orthopedic surgery
• Emergency general surgery
• Emergency medicine
• Neurology and neurosurgery
• Oral maxillofacial, plastic and ENT surgery
• Hand surgery and plastic reconstructive surgery
• Burn care
• Transfusion medicine
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation
• OB/GYN
• Urology
• Ophthalmology
• Heart and vascular
• Anesthesia
• Radiology

About Us

As one of the busiest trauma centers in the nation and the city’s longstanding market share leader, the Institute treats more than 14,000 adult and pediatric patients each year. With one of the busiest helipads in the world, we are also home to Memorial Hermann Life Flight®, which performs more than 3,000 missions annually.

From the awe-inspiring view of Life Flight® racing across the sky on yet another life-saving mission, to the incomparable father of trauma for our city, James “Red” Duke, Jr., we are a city of great promise and achievement. We are fortunate to have one of the finest trauma programs in the world.

However, it takes a monumental amount of resources, both private and public, to ensure our community has the level of care necessary for those who need it. In 2012—built on a foundation of long-term collaboration between the Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center Campus and McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health), the Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute was established.

The Institute brings together a nationally renowned team of clinicians, researchers, and educators with the latest in research and technology to deliver its mission to provide comprehensive, life-saving services to the residents of the Gulf Coast region.

The Future of Trauma Care in Houston

The Susan and Fayez Sarofim Pavilion is the new home of the Red Duke Trauma Institute and a testament to Memorial Hermann’s legacy of care and innovation for the community. Read more.

Red Duke Trauma Institute Awards and Distinctions

• We are part of SETRAC and the Texas Trauma System.
• We are the only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and pediatric trauma center in Houston.
• We are the only ABA-verified Burn Center in Houston.