From the Editor

Lawmakers created the trauma system in 1982, yielding 50 centers around the state. Since then nearly 30 have closed; hospitals providing the services were not compensated enough to cover the high cost of treating trauma patients. Although the legislature has historically recognized that the centers need more money, it hasn't come through. Now only 20 centers exist in Florida.

Anyone who questions the urgent need to pump dollars into our trauma centers, particularly at Lee Memorial, can look at our roadways for motivation. Among the 10 most-populated states in the country, Florida has the highest traffic fatality rate, says Todd Schimpf, a Tallahassee-based trauma-center advocate. Interstate 75 in Southwest Florida has been the site of numerous deadly crashes, and city streets can be dangerous; the small, wreathed crosses in the ground, where loved ones lost their lives in accidents, serve as reminders. In fact, auto accidents comprise 50 percent of trauma incidents. This is all compounded by that explosive population growth that keeps putting more and more cars on the roads.

If the Lee Memorial center goes, trauma victims in these parts must be transported to Tampa or Miami. The odds of survival drop as ambulance time increases, experts say.

And let's not forget that having a trauma center is an asset to attract business.

One way to keep the Lee Memorial Center's service open is through a sales-tax increase. But that measure failed in its last attempt last year.

A more viable proposal is to increase fines for DUI and certain aggressive driving offenses because they contribute significantly to fatalities. Texas enacted "bad driving" legislation and generates $100 million a year for its trauma centers, Schimpf says. In Florida, such a law would yield the $126 million to cover the overall deficit at the centers. No tax increase should be necessary, he says.

The good news is that the legislature is now working its way through the process. A vote is expected early this month. It's time for the house and senate to "give" and approve the law.

-Phil Borchmann