Trauma chief decries lack of funding

The state trauma commission held its first post-legislative session meeting today. The mid-year budget included close to 60-million for trauma care, which is expected to fund the system through January 2009.

But lawmakers could not agree on a way to permanently fund the state's trauma care network. Dr. Patrick O'Neal is the state trauma director for the Department of Human Resources. He says the money is simply not enough to help everyone around the state.

"I don’t think we’re going to be able … this next year, to really make a dent in the death rate from trauma in Georgia. I think we're 3-5 years away from that. And, its going to take additional system changes that we don't have the funds for right now."

At its meeting, the commission decided to first spend 65-thousand dollars to evaluate all 14 existing trauma care centers and emergency medical services around the state. They want to find out what's need to put a true network together.

The Medical Association of Georgia estimates that a good trauma system could save up to 700 lives each year.