Davis Restores Funds for Trauma Centers

Flanked by trauma surgeons on the steps of County-USC Medical Center Thursday, Gov. Gray Davis announced the restoration of $25 million in funding for California trauma centers, as expected.

Davis had proposed suspending the allocation in November as part of his plan to close a projected $12-billion budget deficit. But after criticism from lawmakers of both parties, he reversed his decision.

“The 44 people who lost their lives on California roads over the holidays are a reminder of the importance of having trauma care available,” he said, adding that “other reductions” in general fund expenditures would spare cuts in trauma-care spending.

Nearly half of the county’s major trauma injuries are treated at County-USC, King/Drew Medical Center and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, said Virginia Price Hastings, director of the county’s Emergency Medical Services Agency.