The Florida Senate

395.402  Trauma service areas; number and location of trauma centers.--

(1)  The Legislature recognizes the need for a statewide, cohesive, uniform, and integrated trauma system. Within the trauma service areas, Level I and Level II trauma centers shall each be capable of annually treating a minimum of 1,000 and 500 patients, respectively, with an injury severity score (ISS) of 9 or greater. Level II trauma centers in counties with a population of more than 500,000 shall have the capacity to care for 1,000 patients per year.

(2)  Trauma service areas as defined in this section are to be utilized until the Department of Health completes an assessment of the trauma system and reports its finding to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the substantive legislative committees. The report shall be submitted by February 1, 2005. The department shall review the existing trauma system and determine whether it is effective in providing trauma care uniformly throughout the state. The assessment shall:

(a)  Consider aligning trauma service areas within the trauma region boundaries as established in July 2004.

(b)  Review the number and level of trauma centers needed for each trauma service area to provide a statewide integrated trauma system.

(c)  Establish criteria for determining the number and level of trauma centers needed to serve the population in a defined trauma service area or region.

(d)  Consider including criteria within trauma center approval standards based upon the number of trauma victims served within a service area.

(e)  Review the Regional Domestic Security Task Force structure and determine whether integrating the trauma system planning with interagency regional emergency and disaster planning efforts is feasible and identify any duplication of efforts between the two entities.

(f)  Make recommendations regarding a continued revenue source which shall include a local participation requirement.

(g)  Make recommendations regarding a formula for the distribution of funds identified for trauma centers which shall address incentives for new centers where needed and the need to maintain effective trauma care in areas served by existing centers, with consideration for the volume of trauma patients served, and the amount of charity care provided.

(3)  In conducting such assessment and subsequent annual reviews, the department shall consider:

(a)  The recommendations made as part of the regional trauma system plans submitted by regional trauma agencies.

(b)  Stakeholder recommendations.

(c)  The geographical composition of an area to ensure rapid access to trauma care by patients.

(d)  Historical patterns of patient referral and transfer in an area.

(e)  Inventories of available trauma care resources, including professional medical staff.

(f)  Population growth characteristics.

(g)  Transportation capabilities, including ground and air transport.

(h)  Medically appropriate ground and air travel times.

(i)  Recommendations of the Regional Domestic Security Task Force.

(j)  The actual number of trauma victims currently being served by each trauma center.

(k)  Other appropriate criteria.

(4)  Annually thereafter, the department shall review the assignment of the 67 counties to trauma service areas, in addition to the requirements of paragraphs (2)(b)-(g) and subsection (3). County assignments are made for the purpose of developing a system of trauma centers. Revisions made by the department shall take into consideration the recommendations made as part of the regional trauma system plans approved by the department and the recommendations made as part of the state trauma system plan. In cases where a trauma service area is located within the boundaries of more than one trauma region, the trauma service area's needs, response capability, and system requirements shall be considered by each trauma region served by that trauma service area in its regional system plan. Until the department completes the February 2005 assessment, the assignment of counties shall remain as established in this section.

(a)  The following trauma service areas are hereby established:

1.  Trauma service area 1 shall consist of Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton Counties.

2.  Trauma service area 2 shall consist of Bay, Gulf, Holmes, and Washington Counties.

3.  Trauma service area 3 shall consist of Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla Counties.

4.  Trauma service area 4 shall consist of Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Putnam, Suwannee, and Union Counties.

5.  Trauma service area 5 shall consist of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns Counties.

6.  Trauma service area 6 shall consist of Citrus, Hernando, and Marion Counties.

7.  Trauma service area 7 shall consist of Flagler and Volusia Counties.

8.  Trauma service area 8 shall consist of Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Sumter Counties.

9.  Trauma service area 9 shall consist of Pasco and Pinellas Counties.

10.  Trauma service area 10 shall consist of Hillsborough County.

11.  Trauma service area 11 shall consist of Hardee, Highlands, and Polk Counties.

12.  Trauma service area 12 shall consist of Brevard and Indian River Counties.

13.  Trauma service area 13 shall consist of DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties.

14.  Trauma service area 14 shall consist of Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie Counties.

15.  Trauma service area 15 shall consist of Charlotte, Glades, Hendry, and Lee Counties.

16.  Trauma service area 16 shall consist of Palm Beach County.

17.  Trauma service area 17 shall consist of Collier County.

18.  Trauma service area 18 shall consist of Broward County.

19.  Trauma service area 19 shall consist of Dade and Monroe Counties.

(b)  Each trauma service area should have at least one Level I or Level II trauma center. The department shall allocate, by rule, the number of trauma centers needed for each trauma service area.

(c)  There shall be no more than a total of 44 trauma centers in the state.

History.--ss. 5, 15, ch. 90-284; ss. 37, 98, ch. 92-289; s. 195, ch. 99-397; s. 26, ch. 2000-242; s. 6, ch. 2004-259.

Note.--Former s. 395.033.