Trauma care; it's not a topic that Floridians think about on a daily basis. 

But when you or a loved one is in a horrific accident, becomes the victim of a crime or suffers a traumatic injury, you expect and deserve your health-care system to deliver the best possible outcomes available. 
 
As a trauma surgeon, I see these cases first-hand day in and day out and have the necessary experience and training to ensure my patients receive the best possible care.  But, that trauma care could be threatened by legislation (Senate Bill 966 and House Bill 817) that is currently before the Florida Legislature.
 
This legislation is bad public policy, as it would overhaul the approval process for new trauma centers in Florida and would remove quality and safety standards for care provided to trauma patients.
 
These policy changes, which notably have not been heard in a single health-care committee because the language was amended onto legislation during its final committee stop, would lead to the proliferation of trauma centers. Many more of these facilities would add exorbitant costs and put the lives of Floridians, who have suffered a traumatic injury, at unprecedented risk.
 
There is documented evidence that shows trauma centers and surgeons who treat a large number of seriously injured patients have better outcomes and that the concentration of too many, unnecessary centers in one area compromises the quality of trauma care provided. For this reason, the American College of Surgeons recommends having only one or two high-level trauma centers for every 1 million people, which is a standard currently met in Florida. 
 
Florida’s trauma system is already one of the best in the world, with trauma centers strategically located to provide efficient and high-quality trauma care to all Floridians.  Why compromise a system that consistently outperforms other states and delivers the best possible outcomes to Florida’s trauma patients?
 
I urge our state’s lawmakers to strike down this bad public policy to protect Florida’s patients and preserve quality trauma care in Florida.
 
Dr. Robert Borrego is the medical director of trauma services at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach. 

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