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Lee Memorial Health System
is one of 15 major safety net health systems in Florida that
ensure needy and uninsured patients receive high-quality health
care, regardless of ability to pay.
According to the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, of
which our health system is a founding member, and I was honored
to serve as its first chairman, safety net hospitals represent
just 11.5 percent of the state’s hospitals, but provide half of
charity care and 43 percent of all Medicaid care in the state.
These hospitals—which are the state’s teaching, public and
children’s hospitals—also provide 66 percent of organ
transplants in the state and treat 100 percent of inpatient burn
victims. They also receive 66 percent of the state’s trauma
admissions.
Safety net hospitals have struggled with funding for several
years, especially when it comes to trauma care. It is vital that
our legislators preserve safety net hospital system funding
during the 2010 Legislative Session. The Safety Net Hospital
Alliance of Florida has several key priorities for this
Legislative Session, which includes protecting the Medicaid Low
Income Pool, preservation of Medicaid rates and supporting Red
Light Camera Legislation that will help fund our state’s trauma
centers.
Protecting Medicaid funding is vital to health care in our
state, particularly for safety net hospitals. We must continue
to encourage our legislators to preserve funding to help us
continue to provide care for our most vulnerable.
To help put into perspective how much of a difference our Trauma
Center at Lee Memorial Hospital makes in our community, I’d like
to share portions of an e-mail I received from Lee County
resident Steve Hubbard.
Three years ago, Steve and his daughter were rear-ended by a
large truck. His daughter was not seriously injured, but Steve
was taken to our Trauma Center because his neck was broken and
his spinal cord was injured. In fact, Steve was paralyzed from
the neck down upon arrival. “To keep it simple, the Lee Memorial
Trauma Unit is a major part of the reason I am alive, can walk
and can type this e-mail. While I still face a difficult life
journey as a result of my injuries, I do have a journey to
travel and want to thank the Trauma Unit and its entire fast,
vast, varied and talented team,” Steve wrote.
He went on to say he believes the extent of his paralysis would
be far greater if he had had to travel to Tampa or Miami for
life-saving care. “I shudder to think of the difficulties I
would have had to face in that event,” he says.
“I believe that the Trauma Unit should be considered a basic
public service just like fire, EMS, and police services. I hope
that, one day, my journey allows me the opportunity to be a good
advocate for our Trauma Unit to our community and government,”
he also wrote.
I could not have said it better. Trauma care, as well as
guaranteed access to services for those most in need, should be
considered basic services provided to all residents in our
state. We must continue to protect our safety net hospitals and
the life-saving and life-changing care they provide.
To find out more about the legislative priorities of the Safety
Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, visit
www.safetynetsflorida.org.
Peace,
Jim Nathan
President, Lee Memorial Health System
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