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TRAUMA CARE TASK FORCE ISSUES FINAL REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR & LEGISLATURE

The Mississippi Legislature during its 2007 Regular Session created a Trauma Care Task Force and charged the panel with studying the status of trauma care and burn care in the state and presenting its findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature for consideration during the 2008 Legislative Session.  At the request of the Task Force, the Center for Mississippi Health Policy assisted the group in synthesizing the information reviewed during its deliberations and preparing its Report.  This request stemmed from a previous study on the status of trauma care performed by the Center and distributed to policymakers in January 2007.  

The primary finding of the Task Force outlined in its Report is that the fifteen year old system is on the verge of collapse due to a high volume of uncompensated care and difficulties in recruiting and retaining specialized providers.  The Report notes that large areas of the state currently lack proximity to proper trauma care, and the problem will worsen if more hospitals withdraw from participation in the state’s trauma system.  The Task Force also determined that the Mississippi Trauma Advisory Committee, which advises the State Board of Health on matters pertaining to the state’s trauma system, had not met in over two years. 

Task Force recommendations to address these concerns include generating additional funds of at least $40 million per year through certain fees and assessments and statutorily reconstituting the authoritative advisory body.  The full Trauma Care Task Force Report is available on-line as well as an Issue Brief that summarizes the findings and recommendations of the Report.