Vote Yes on Ballot Amendment 2

Horizons in Hemophilia, October 2010

By Jeff Cornett, RN, MSN, Director of Training, Research, & Advocacy

As part of the November 2nd election, voters in Georgia will decide the fate of five constitutional amendments.  The second of these amendments can have a direct benefit to the health and safety of all Georgians, especially those with bleeding disorders.  The ballot question reads:  “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to impose an annual $10.00 trauma charge on certain passenger motor vehicles in this state for the purpose of funding trauma care?” Hemophilia of Georgia has joined the “The Yes 2 Save Lives Campaign” to encourage Georgians to vote “yes” on this amendment.  The “Yes 2 Save Lives Campaign” wants you to know the following information and share it with your friends and neighbors.

“Trauma” is a serious injury to the body that results from an accident or violence. In Georgia, car crashes are the leading cause of trauma injuries; other causes include serious accidents at work or home.  A hospital with an emergency room is not a trauma center. A trauma center has professional medical staff and life-saving equipment available 24 hours a day to immediately care for severely injured patients.

Trauma patients who receive care within “the golden hour,” the 60-minute window that immediately follows injury, dramatically increase their chances of survival. For children, who are smaller and more fragile, the window shortens to only 30 minutes. Distance to a trauma center is a life and death issue.

Deaths from trauma injuries in Georgia are 20 percent higher than the national average because access to trauma care is severely limited. Many Georgians, particularly those who travel through rural areas – often on their way to Florida or other states – are dangerously far from a trauma center. Georgia only has 16 hospitals with trauma centers and we need at least 30 centers to meet the needs of our citizens.

Trauma Centers are “designated.” Trauma care centers must meet guidelines to become a “designated” trauma center and are ranked at levels 1-4.  A Level 1 Trauma Center is the most comprehensive and offers 24-hour trauma care with a full spectrum of services from prevention though rehabilitation. Georgia has four Level 1 Trauma Centers located in Atlanta, Augusta, Macon and Savannah.

Georgia needs a comprehensive trauma system. With additional funding, Georgia can improve and expand trauma care services across the state. A statewide trauma system saves lives when trauma care is needed.  Even metro Atlanta trauma centers need funding to maintain their centers and keep them from dropping their trauma status. Many of these trauma centers lose money because of the high volume of care they provide, putting them in danger of closing their doors.

Ballot Amendment 2 creates a $10 car tag fee dedicated to funding trauma care. This annual vehicle registration fee will generate $80 million a year for improving our statewide trauma care system.  This constitutional amendment locks in the funds so they will go directly to a dedicated trauma trust fund. Every dime generated under this amendment will help train 911 professionals, paramedics, critical care nurses and physicians, increase rapid transport, provide the latest life-saving equipment and technology, and upgrade more hospitals to trauma centers. These measures will ensure that more lives are saved.

When you go to vote on November 2, remember to vote “yes” on amendment 2.  You can find out more at the Yes 2 Save Lives Campaign website: https://www.yes2savelives.com/.