Leave trauma center decisions to the experts
Recent studies demonstrate the need for Nevada to improve emergency care. However, unnecessary trauma designations would only worsen things in Nevada.
The 2014 rankings by the American College of Emergency Physicians gave Nevada a poor score in disaster preparedness and said the Silver State must “address the specialist work force shortage and financial barriers to care that continue to threaten the state’s entire emergency care system. Recruitment and retention of providers must become a priority for Nevada policymakers to ensure that quality care is available.”
Improvements will not occur, however, by simply having hospitals hang out trauma signs on their ERs. In fact, the trauma III designations sought by Centennial Hills Hospital, Mountain View Hospital, and Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center create no new facilities, no new capacity, no new care for the critically injured. The only thing added are more charges by these ERs to an already overly expensive health care system.
In fact, Nevada recently received a 93.2 percent score from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for one trauma measure — the number of residents who live within 50 miles of a trauma center — and no score for the only other trauma measure. This was due to poor reporting rather than a lack of centers, and funding for an adequate trauma reporting system would heal this deficiency.
Thankfully the Regional Trauma Advisory Board in February rejected applications that dilute our existing trauma system. Board members are experts in what trauma designations do and don’t provide.
We all agree that we need to improve the quality of emergency room hospital care in Nevada. But leave trauma care to the experts — not the hospital lobbyists.
Leain Vashon
Las Vegas
Wrong body?
I was wondering how long it would take for comments about who uses what bathroom to reach the letters section. I’m not really sure most of the people who want a law to exclude people who are different from using their sacred “potty place” even know what being transgender is.
First of all it’s not something you can change or fix. When my husband went to school, his teacher insisted that he learn to use his right hand. It didn’t work and he is still left handed. Being transgender is something like being left handed. You are born knowing you are “in the wrong body.” This does not make them evil or sexual predators.
If they are true to themselves they dress and behave like the gender they identify with. They do not want to call attention to the image they have created for themselves.
If you are worried about your child seeing someone else’s genitals in the bathroom, then you should be talking to them about peeping into another person’s stall. If you are worried about sexual predators, there are already laws against that in place.
Our Constitution does not allow people to be excluded because of their race, religion or sex. We shouldn’t forget the values that made our country great. If you are worried about the people you will encounter in a public restroom, you should go before you leave the house.
Patricia Fruge
Las Vegas
Top regent
Reader Jon Sias advocates recalling the full board of regents (“Disdain and contempt,” Thursday letter). But painting in haste with a broad brush is rarely a good idea.
Of the 13 members of the Board of University Regents only one, Mark W. Doubrava, voted against providing chancellor Dan Klaich with a $330,000 golden parachute. Mr. Doubrava should be commended for voting against that sweetheart deal and deserves our vote in November for a second term so he can continue to represent the best interests of higher education and the taxpayers.
Bill Fullerton
Las Vegas
