Proposed Elimination of General Funds
for the Oregon Trauma System
To those in support of the Oregon Trauma System (I apologize if
this email is a duplicate),
On January 26, 2010, Oregon voters will decide on Measures 66 &
67. If these tax measures do not pass, the Oregon State Trauma System
and the state office which coordinates this system face drastic
budget reductions. Such reductions will effectively eliminate the
Trauma System. All budget reduction options, including the proposed
elimination of all general funds that support the Emergency Medical
Services and Trauma System Section under the Public Health Division
of the Department of Human Services, are available to view at http://www.leg.state.or.us/comm/lfo/.[1]
These budget reduction options will be reviewed and finalized by
the Joint Ways and Means Committee during a special legislative
session scheduled for February.
It is the State Trauma Advisory Board’s hope that by collectively
raising awareness, we can avoid the elimination of Trauma System
funding in the event that Measures 66 & 67 do not pass. Our
strategy is simple. The Board requests that you contact members
of the Joint Ways and Means Committee of the State Legislature about
the proposed cuts to the general funds that support the Trauma System.
We also ask that you pass along the information contained in this
email to any professional associations to which you belong.
This email contains the following attachments (see bottom of page):
- A list of members for the Joint Ways and Means Committee (assigned
by ATAB);
- A quick fact sheet about the Oregon Trauma System (which you
may use as “talking points” or for distribution);
- A sample letter that you can use as a template for writing
to the members of the Joint Ways and Means Committee; and
- A letter from the State Trauma Advisory Board stating its position
against eliminating the general funds that support the Oregon
Trauma System.
Feel free to use any of these materials to aide your own efforts
in support of the Trauma System. You are also invited to participate
in the next legislative subcommittee meeting of the State Trauma
Advisory Board on Friday, January 29, 2010 at 1:00 p.m.
We will use this time to discuss our next steps in the
event that Measures 66 & 67 do not pass. The meeting is hosted
by phone. Please call 1 (866) 222-0917 and dial participant code
640551 to participate.
If you have questions of the State Trauma Advisory Board, please
contact me, its acting chairperson, Richard Urbanski, MD. Thank
you for your support of the Trauma System.
Sincerely,
Richard Urbanski, MD
attikitty@gmail.com
(541) 944-1540
[1] To view the Department of Human Services
budget reduction options, search under “Budget Reduction Options”,
then “Human Services Program Area”, and then “Human
Services, Department of”. The proposed elimination of general
funds that support the Emergency Medical Services and Trauma System
Section is found on page 11 as Option #66. To link directly to the
DHS budget reduction options worksheet, visit http://www.leg.state.or.us/budget/budget_reduction_options/HS_DHS.pdf.
2-Oregon State Trauma System on the Cut List:
Letter
from Ted Raschkes
Chair Government Affairs, Oregon ENA
Oregon
Trauma Fact Sheet
STAB Ways and Means
Document
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