Only THREE Trauma Centers in Kentucky...what a disgrace (Lexington: transfer, live)

[Hey_Hey]

You know, I'm not sure. I guess they're going ahead with the plan because they know it will be finished in the coming years....maybe a marketing scheme for Western Kentucky trying to lure businesses here.

Check out wikipedia's article on I-69. It gives more details.

[kentuckydad95]

Originally Posted by timelesschild

So get one going, Kentuckydad. You know the need, you know the costs, now all you need is a grantwriter and a legislative lobbyist. Do it - be a hero for your region.

Where would I start? I would seriously consider doing it.

[kentuckydad95]

Maybe I am confused as to how the Purchase Parkway is going to connect with the WK Parkway??? I guess they will do that deal where a portion of I-24 will read, "I-24/I-69"? And since the roads are already (and have been for years) in place, how will that bring in more business?

Thread HIJACKED!!! LOL

[kygman]

stx, I think Indiana spent more time trying to decide the route for I-69 than Kentucky. It was easier for Kentucky because we already had the roads, just have to upgrade them a little bit.

Kentuckydad, 69 is going to go from the Purchase, down 24 to the WK.

[timelesschild]

Originally Posted by kentuckydad95

Where would I start? I would seriously consider doing it.

Just a guess: start by talking with Western Baptist Hospital and seeing if it is true that they already have the process going. If this isn't already in process, are they interested? Would they welcome your assistance? There are people who write grants, and there are books teaching how. I have even seen a book called Amazon.com: Grant Writing For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance)): Beverly A. Browning: Books.

That's just a little brainstorm... go for it!

[Future Trooper]

wow Kentucky has only 3 trauma centers? Indiana has i believe 8 trauma centers. but also indiana has a population of 6.3million. and the fact that indiana has more large cities than Kentucky does is probabaly why

[ittybittyrandi]

I think that more Level I trauma centers in the state of Kentucky, not only in Western kentucky, would be a wonderful asset to the medical community and the overall "sick" population. HOWEVER, it takes ALOT of money to not only get a healthcare facility up and running, but to maintain it and pay the many, many employees that it employs. I totally agree that these "smaller" areas and counties need facilities that can address not only the smaller traumas, but the larger ones as well. I am from the opposite end of the state, in a very small county in eastern Kentucky and they have no trauma center either, little on level I. I had a very bad episode once where my potassium dropped 2 points (and for those of you in the medical community, you know how life threatening that is) and I nearly died before my mom could get me the some 45 miles to the NEAREST hospital (not even a trauma center) in Hazard. I have an adreanal disease and small things like stress attacks (and the potassium dropping) can be life threatening to me. Therefore, one can guess, it scares me everytime i go back there for a while because I am afraid I will get deathly sick and there will not be a level I trauma center nearby to administer my stress does of steroids. I now live in Lexington and 15 minutes away from the UK hospital but, to a person with an adrenal disease who in a crisis, that 15 minutes can mean life or death. However, it does take a lot to build and maintain these hospital. It comforts me knowing that I am that close to a hospital, little on a trauma center. I think that every area in the state should have a hospital and a trauma center, maybe not a level I, but a trauma center nonetheless. UK is welcoming its new 20 million dollar hospital in 2011 and it is huge, exciting and going to be amazing. But it has been several decades in the making. The University of Kentucky serves not only the central Kentucky area, but parts of Ohio and West Virginia as well. The parts of South Eastern Kentucky, you were talking about, usually is transported to either Kingsport, Knoxville or Johnson City (depending on proximity and severeity of accident or illness). Louisville services mainly that area, parts of Indiana, SE Misouri and parts of Western Kentucky as well. As far as Western Kentucky, I thnk that they are either sent to a lower level trauma center there, Louisville or to Nashville. It would be ideal for there to be 5 or 6 level I trauma centers in the state (considering there are 120 counties) and a lower level trauma center ever several counties because, like you said, every accident or illness is NOT a level I trauma and you are correct, people do not like having their SCHEDULED procedures postponed because of a trauma. But those people cannot help that their trauma interferes with a scheduled procedure. It would be cheaper (in terms of personal/insurance costs) to have in-state trauma centers because, in the event of a trauma and no center nearby, it costs the patient/insurance company more in transportation fees to travel outside of their area. Granted that in time due, they make enough money to clear the bank note on the facility and slowly begin making a profit, but you have to take into consideration that Kentucky has a high rate of people who get financial assistance and healthcare assistance, such as medicaid and medicare and those companies have deals with the healthcare providers that they only have to pay a small percentage of the healthcare costs (that is usually less than half). For example, I think maybe medicare only has to reimburse healthcare facilities somewhere around 45% of the actual price of the procedure. Basically, judging by the ratio of medicare/medicaid recipients and regular insurance patients, the state of Kentucky basically CANNOT afford several level I trauma centers throughout the state. I totally agree that it is sad that other states have as many in one area as the entire state have, but Kentucky JUST cannot afford more. Perhaps IF Kentucky had more, then they would save more insurance money by not having to transport people the several hundred miles or more to get to a hospital further away, make money on their procedures and in escense build more level I trauma centers. Maybe they won't be massive starting off, but they can start small and slowly build up to where there can be several $20 million level I trauma centers throughout the state.

[Sundance]

Lourdes in Paducah just laid people off.....

Lourdes Announces Layoffs - Local 6 WPSD (http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/mostpopular/story/Lourdes-Announces-Layoffs/bvXH8NygeUKa4MBfTmUINQ.cspx - broken link)

[kentuckydad95]

Originally Posted by Sundance

Lourdes in Paducah just laid people off.....

Lourdes Announces Layoffs - Local 6 WPSD (http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/mostpopular/story/Lourdes-Announces-Layoffs/bvXH8NygeUKa4MBfTmUINQ.cspx - broken link)

That's from back in April

[MichaelBNA]

Originally Posted by kentuckydad95

I would say 95% go to Nashville, the rest split up between St Louis and Evansville.

I would say Western Baptist would have enough dough in their system to fund such a project. Lourdes...not so much. Murray, forget it. They are privately owned.

Vanderbilt is one of the top hospitals in the country. Right up there with Cedars Sinai and some other great institutions in this country. That's why you see so many going there. People, or hospitals, want to be associated with the best. Georgraphy plays a part as well. Kentucky does just fine with what it has. Most go to Nashville, Louisville, Lexington, or somewhere else.