Current Trauma Status Report - Southern Nevada Health District

North Las Vegas Town Hall Meeting
The following comments, input, questions and answers were provided during the North Las Vegas
Town Hall meeting on trauma in Southern Nevada held on March 11, 2004. People attending the
Town Hall included residents of North Las Vegas plus stakeholders from the following: North Las
Vegas Fire Department, Southern Nevada Citizen Trauma Task Force, Lake Mead Hospital, Clark
County Health District, University Medical Center, Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, St. Rose-
Dominican Hospital.
Public Education/Awareness:
• The public is familiar with the concept of a trauma center, but not necessarily that it's UMC.
• The public probably doesn't know that the trauma center is UMC, but they do know that there is a
trauma center.
• The public sees trauma as dialing 9-1-1 and then leaving it up to the responders.
• The public knows that UMC is it. Just watch the news at night.
• The public knows that there is a trauma center, but not necessarily that it's UMC.
• The public should support the trauma centers and have some say in the trauma system.
• Public education is needed because it is expensive to operate a trauma center.
• The public does not know how much tax money goes to UMC. If they knew, it would increase
public involvement and interest.
• This process should increase the public's awareness and protect what's there.
Trauma Resources/Policy/Configuration:
• The community is growing and needs to develop a system that best meets the needs of the
growing population. Trauma Centers are needed in the north and south areas of the region.
• Determining the levels of the trauma center is very important. A gun shot wound does not
necessarily have to go to a Level I, it could go to a lower level trauma center.
• Southern Nevada needs a trauma system and I think this discussion among the hospitals is very
helpful. We need different levels of trauma centers to feed into the Level I trauma center.
• There is a system of care in Southern Nevada, but it is not formalized. UMC does a great job.
• The Nevada trauma center standards are based on the American College of Surgeons standards.
• We've moved from a needs assessment to a location assessment. A new trauma center needs the
desire and drive to become a trauma center. No one else but Sunrise has this capability.
• We have our trauma care placed in one basket. We need another one incase it closes again.
• Geographic considerations are important in developing a trauma system.
• Q. Is designation going to be mandatory or voluntary A. It depends on what type of trauma
system developed.
• Q. How will Clark County Health District implement the recommendations A. Clark County
Health District won't be implementing the recommendations because it is the responsibility of the
State to oversee trauma.
Funding:
• How to fund a trauma system or center is a good question. I guess we should increase taxes.
• A tax initiative to fund the trauma system would not pass.
• What about establishing a special license plate to support the trauma system
• We could get funding from the legislature.
• Let's add $1 to every hotel bill.
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