Times Editorial : Just do it
Posted on Monday, July 21, 2008
According to Dr. Paul Halverson, director of the Arkansas Department of Health, the leading cause of death of people between the ages of 1 and 44 in Arkansas is injury. Add that realization to Arkansas being home to the highest rates of motor vehicle accidents in the country, and that children's deaths from motor vehicle accidents in Arkansas tend to double the national average.
Each fact says the same thing. That while Arkansas has excellent medical professionals at its disposal, these fine people may not have all the tools they need to get the job done right.
Actually, that's an understatement. It is estimated that 200-600 Arkansans die annually simply because they can't reach the emergency care they need quickly enough. Despite all our state's wealth, the cold reality is that Arkansas is the only state in the country without a Level 1 trauma center, and one of only three states without a trauma system.
Professionals believe the implementation of a statewide trauma network could in a moment's notice explain to hospitals and emergency responders where patients stand the best chance of receiving the care they need. It is said that such a system would save scores of lives. Why Arkansas has not invested in such a sound idea can best be explained by annual funding shortages. Educated guesses about how much the implementation of such a network might cost run anywhere from $ 24 million to $ 40 million.
It's true: Arkansas has lots of problems that need fixing. But, hey, people are losing their lives and families are losing their loved ones because of this funding shortage. Surely this state can somehow come up with the money required to solve this problem.
Happily, Gov. Beebe appears to agree. On July 10 he announced that he had set $ 200, 000 from the $ 500, 000-a-year Governor's Emergency Fund to help get this effort up and running. Among other things, the funding will collect data to assist lawmakers when they consider the issue during the 2009 legislative session, as well as for consultants to help state officials reach their goal.
We can't say enough positive things about the establishment of a statewide trauma system. Fact is that some problems can't be solved regardless of how hard we try. Others are as (relatively ) simply as writing a check and moving on to the next issue.
That's why this problem is so heartbreaking. If only we could find a way to gather up the necessary cash and put it to work for us, legislators would be doing much more than boosting IQ scores or paving more roads - important as those needs and others admittedly are. Instead, they could be saving lives.
Scholars say you can't put a price on human life, but that's not true. If state legislators find a way to write a big enough check in 2009, the lives of fewer Arkansans will be needlessly lost. That's a fact worth thinking long and hard about.
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