Board takes another step toward trauma system

Friday, Aug. 27, 2004 | 9:54 a.m.

The Clark County Health District Board took another step Thursday toward creating a regional trauma system that will guide trauma care in the region, including decisions about which hospitals should have trauma centers and what areas those hospitals would serve.

The board agreed to have County Chief Health Officer Dr. Donald Kwalick negotiate a contract with a private consulting firm to help develop a trauma system and to identify boundaries for where trauma centers would take patients from.

University Medical Center now has the only trauma center in Southern Nevada. But the state has given Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center permission to open a trauma center with a one-year temporary license on Jan. 1, as long as the hospital meets certain criteria.

The state's action upset local health officials because it came before the county health board had given the state its recommendations on the matter.

Kwalick said developing a trauma system would probably take about four months.

The consultant's work could cost about $90,000, and Kwalick said he hoped UMC, Sunrise and St. Rose Dominican Hospitals will contribute to the cost. St. Rose is working toward opening a low-level trauma center at its Siena Campus in Henderson.

Trauma doctors from UMC and Sunrise said they were happy the health board decided to keep moving forward with plans for a trauma system.

Abaris is the same consulting firm that reviewed the need for additional trauma centers here. In a May report to the health board, the group concluded that a trauma center at Sunrise could hurt UMC financially, but recommended a trauma center at St. Rose.

Sunrise officials have said the area's growth will be more than enough to support both trauma centers.