Florida lawmakers have agreed upon a deal that would reorganize the state's trauma regions and establish an advisory council that would meet quarterly, according to WLRN.
Members of the state Senate and House, along with healthcare leaders, agreed on a plan that would reorganize the state's 19 trauma service areas to 18, Senate Health Policy Chairwoman Dana Young, R-Tampa, said Wednesday. Each trauma service area can have no more than five total trauma centers, ranging from Level I to stand-alone pediatric trauma centers.
The proposal would also force the state's Department of Health to establish the Florida Trauma System Advisory Council by Oct. 1.
The agreement comes as many local hospitals have pushed back against attempts by Franklin, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare to open trauma centers in its area hospitals.