WASHINGTON, DC – Seeking to advance the nation’s emergency preparedness, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts and U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today introduced legislation to help develop and strengthen statewide trauma care systems.

"With our nation’s continued focus on enhancing disaster preparedness, it is critical that the federal government increase its commitment to strengthening trauma care system planning and development," Senator Roberts said. "Trauma systems are a crucial component of homeland security and offer live saving services in natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and recent snow and ice storms in the Midwest."

"With our nation’s continued focus on enhancing disaster preparedness, it is critical that the federal government increase its commitment to strengthening trauma care system planning and development," Senator Roberts said. "Trauma systems are a crucial component of homeland security and offer live saving services in natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and recent snow and ice storms in the Midwest."

The bill reauthorizes the Trauma Care Systems Planning and Development Act and provides for additional resources for states to improve and strengthen their trauma care systems.

The bill reauthorizes the Trauma Care Systems Planning and Development Act and provides for additional resources for states to improve and strengthen their trauma care systems.

Since 1990, the Trauma Care Systems Planning and Development Act, which created Title XII of the Public Health Service Act, has provided $31.4 million to help states and territories develop and implement statewide trauma care systems.

Nationally, unintentional injury is the leading cause of death for individuals 1 to 44 years old. The nation’s trauma and emergency medical systems are designed to respond quickly and efficiently to get seriously injured individuals to the appropriate trauma center hospital within the "golden hour" – the time period when medical intervention is most effective in saving lives and saving function.

"Trauma care is especially critical in rural areas where the death rate from unintentional injury is more than 50 percent higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Saving the life of any trauma victim requires constant attention to maintaining and coordinating organized systems of trauma care in every community in every state," Roberts said.

The Senators’ legislation provides for increased funding for states to develop and improve their trauma systems, including targeted money to rural areas. It improves the collection and analysis of trauma patient data to improve overall care for patients and provides for a self-evaluation mechanism to assist states in assessing and improving their trauma care systems. Finally, it authorizes an Institute of Medicine study on the state of trauma care and trauma research.

Senator Roberts is a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Senate Rural Health Care Caucus.