South Carolina's trauma system needs lawmakers' help to ensure quality emergency room care for the injured. With a high rate of auto accidents, South Carolina needs emergency rooms well-equipped and well-staffed to handle critical injuries — and save lives. ...

Of the 63 acute-care hospitals in South Carolina, only 23 participate in the state trauma system. Only four hospitals offer the highest-level of trauma care. ...

The number of trauma surgeons, meanwhile, has dropped from 12 to only six.

What this means is that lifesaving emergency trauma care is becoming less available to critically injured South Carolinians. ...

But hospital trauma care is very expensive to maintain, costing $138 million a year. ... (B)ecause about one in four patients in South Carolina has no insurance, hospitals sometimes must absorb the costs of trauma care. The highest level hospitals lost $18.3 million in 2001. ...

The hospitals that run the trauma system this year are seeking $28.6 million from the Legislature to shore up the system. ...

The faltering state trauma system, unfortunately, is not high on the list of priorities of the public — and therefore may not be a priority for state lawmakers. State leaders, however, should recognize that bolstering the state's trauma system will save the lives of more South Carolinians.

The Greenville News