AMY WINKLER

Tucsonan James Michael Stewart receives medical attention for an injured shoulder from paramedic John Jarred, right, and Dr. Julie Dixon Friday afternoon in University Medical Center's trauma center. The Tucson City Council voted yesterday to give $250,000 to keep local trauma centers open, if the state agrees to give $4.3 million.

Tuesday October 23, 2001

Money will only be helpful is state provides additional $4.3 million, officials say

The Tucson City Council voted unanimously yesterday to give $250,000 from next fiscal year's budget to help prevent Tucson's trauma centers from shutting down.

This money, however, will only be handed down to trauma care provided that the state agrees to provide an additional $4.3 million - a decision that will not be reached until Nov. 13 at the earliest.

"If the state does not provide, we're not in a position to provide $4.8 million (to fund trauma care)," said City Manager James Keene. "$250,000 does not keep trauma centers operating."

The decision comes after both University Medical Center and Tucson Medical Center announced they will close their level one trauma centers on Dec. 31 because of inadequate funding and a nationwide economic recession.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote today on whether to match the city's contributions with $250,000 of the county's budget to fund the two trauma centers.

Keene said with the combined $500,000 from the city of Tucson and Pima County, the state would still have to give $4.3 million to trauma care in Tucson. If this figure is not met, he said, the city's offer of $250,000 would be made in vain.

TMC officials announced Sept. 24 that it would be forced to close the doors of its level one trauma center because of lost money from treating uninsured patients and undocumented illegal immigrants. Officials said $3.3 million was needed to keep the center open through the end of the year.

As a result, UMC officials announced Oct. 8 that it would also close its trauma center at the end of the year, saying it would not be able to absorb the impact of the closure of TMC's center. Officials there said $1.5 million was needed to keep its doors open - meaning a total of $4.8 million to keep both centers alive.

"(Most of) the $4.8 million would be essentially provided by the state," Keene said. "But local contribution is deemed necessary to show our own participation to the Legislature."

Katie Riley, UMC's associate director of public affairs said both level one trauma centers have 24-hour in-house trauma surgeons, CT scan staff, emergency medical technicians, anesthesiologists, on-call medical specialties and a helicopter to transport patients from outlying locations.

UMC's trauma center treated 3,373 patients last year from Pima County and the outlying counties in southern Arizona. Most of the patients who enter the trauma center have life-threatening injuries.

Riley said because patients who visit the trauma center need all types of treatment, UMC must be prepared for any event. CT scans, respiratory teams, surgeons, emergency room staff and costly equipment must remain available for the trauma center to fulfill patients' needs.

The availability of doctors will decrease and the level of treatment of patients will suffer if the state cannot find the funds.

"If we don't have proper funding, people will die," said paramedic John Jarred.