Texas EMS Trauma & Acute Care Foundation, Texas Hospitals Urge Legislature to Support State Trauma System
EMS, Trauma and Acute Health Care Professionals Day is TODAY at Texas Capitol

AUSTIN (May 12, 2009) – The Texas EMS Trauma & Acute Care Foundation and the Texas Hospital Association today urged state budget writers to appropriate $125 million for the state trauma care system for each of the next two years.

The funds are critical to ensure a strong, statewide trauma system, the groups said, noting that Texas’ growing population and the use of emergency rooms by uninsured residents are placing a major strain on the system.  Hospitals report nearly $200 million in uncompensated trauma care every year.  But they also point to the recent H1N1 flu or swine flu outbreak and the start of hurricane season as clear reminders of the need for a robust Texas trauma system. 

“As state budget writers make final decisions in these waning days of the legislative session, we urge them to direct sorely needed resources to the Texas trauma system,” said Jorie Klein, RN, president of the board of the Texas EMS Trauma and Acute Care Foundation. “Every Texan counts on emergency medical help to be available when a crisis strikes. That means we have to count on the Legislature to make sure that dedicated emergency care professionals have the funds they need to get their jobs done.”

So far this session, the House and Senate have earmarked $75 million per year for distribution from the Designated Trauma Facility and Emergency Medical Services Account, which is the most the Legislature has ever appropriated from the fees accumulated through the Driver Responsibility Program.

Klein said that even though this serves as a positive sign, more is needed.  The foundation and THA are calling on the Legislature to appropriate an additional $50 million per year for the biennium. That would equal the $125 million the Driver Responsibility Program is projected to generate annually for the 2010-11 budget.

“This program was specifically established to fund uncompensated trauma care, and we believe all available money should be used for that purpose,” Klein said.

The Texas Legislature created the fund in 2003 to help finance uncompensated trauma care. Money collected through the Driver Responsibility Program, which targets bad drivers and those convicted of Driving Under the Influence, goes to the Designated Trauma Facility and Emergency Medical Services account. 

“Since the Driver Responsibility Program’s inception, the funds have helped designated trauma facilities, but the demand by far exceeds the available financial resources, and to make matters worse, only a portion of the funds collected in the last few years have been appropriated to assist hospital emergency departments,” said John Hawkins, THA senior vice president of Advocacy & Public Policy. 
 
Between 2000 and 2007, out-patient emergency room visits jumped 14.5 percent, but the number of emergency departments only increased 7.5 percent.  In 2007 alone, 403 community hospitals treated 8.4 million out-patients in their emergency departments. 

Today is EMS, Trauma and Acute Health Care Professionals Day at the Capitol.

-30-