FIRST REGULAR SESSION

House Concurrent Resolution No. 34

92^ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

2233L.01I

         Whereas, while SSM DePaul Health Center received one million dollars in state funding to continue trauma services in the St. Louis area through June 30, 2003, the trauma center will be forced to close this summer if state funding is not included in the state budget for fiscal year 2004; and

            Whereas, the trauma center treats approximately 1,000 patients a year and is the only trauma center in the North County area; and

            Whereas, with the next closest trauma centers being St. John's Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur and SSM St. Joseph Health Center in St. Charles, the closing of SSM DePaul Health Center would require those facilities to handle the additional traumas; and

            Whereas, SSM St. Joseph Health Center is already operating at capacity and would not be able to handle any additional traumas; and

            Whereas, while trauma is a very expensive medical service to maintain, it is an important medical service for a community to maintain because in trauma cases minutes or even seconds can be the difference between life and death; and

            Whereas, in April, 2003, the St. Louis Clergy Coalition delivered a petition signed by more than 2,000 area residents to administrators at DePaul's trauma center which expressed the need for local legislators to find short-term funding for the trauma center; and

            Whereas, since the petition was delivered, an additional 2,000 signatures have been obtained which will also be sent to local legislators; and

            Whereas, while these efforts may provide a short-term solution, the residents of North County need and deserve to have vital trauma services provided in the North County area without the constant fear that they will lose those services at any moment due to lack of adequate funding:

            Now, therefore, be it resolved that the members of the House of Representatives of the Ninety-second General Assembly, First Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, hereby authorize Governor Bob Holden to provide a permanent source of funding for the SSM DePaul Health Center through the utilization of funds currently dedicated to homeland security so that the residents of North County will continue to have vital, life-saving medical services provided at the trauma center; and

            Be it further resolved that this resolution be sent to the Governor for his approval or rejection pursuant to the Missouri Constitution.