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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Two Ohio legislators are pushing for changes to how emergency workers deal with trauma victims in hopes to improve patient transportation.
Their bill, which is expected to be introduced in the Ohio House soon, would require victims to be transported directly to the closest appropriate trauma center immediately following an emergency, the Columbus Dispatch reported (http://bit.ly/1HtegGF). It would also create a state trauma board.
Multiple ambulances and medical helicopters sometimes can arrive unannounced at a trauma scene delaying patients from getting to a hospital, say the measure's supporters.
"It's important for me to know in Ohio that we're doing the very best that we can, and right now, we're not," said state Rep. Cheryl Grossman, who is co-sponsoring the bill. "Right now, there is a lot of confusion on the different levels of trauma, how people utilize services, who you send where and under what circumstances."
Rep. Steve Huffman, an emergency-medicine doctor and co-sponsor of the bill, said the legislation should improve the system so patients will be transported to the appropriate hospital faster.
Trauma is the leading cause of death for Ohioans between the ages of 1 and 44, said Dr. Steve Steinberg, a trauma surgeon at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center.
The legislation would push trauma centers and non-trauma hospitals to work together, he said. An executive director and medical director would create responsibility and accountability, he added.
The Central Ohio Trauma System estimates the system would cost $3.2 million annually.
Tim Erskine, chief of trauma systems and research at the Ohio Department of Public Safety, said some funding would be used to inspect trauma centers to ensure they are functioning appropriately. The trauma center designation is granted by the American College of Surgeons. Under the bill, the state's trauma registry would move from the public safety department to the state's health department.
Erskine said he is concerned there's not enough funding to run the registry or the system in general, since currently, only $281,000 in hospital application fees would be available to pay for the system.
But Grossman said she's confident they'll be able to fund the improvements.
The Ohio Hospital Association has declined comment until the bill is formally introduced.
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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com
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