Only THREE Trauma Centers in Kentucky...what a disgrace (Lexington: health insurance, how much)

[kentuckydad95]

How can a state so spread-out have only two Level I trauma centers (L'ville and Lex) and and one Level III (Campbellsville)??? Here on the western end of the state, I can't tell you how much money leaves the state to go to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Hell, there have been two or three Lifeflight's from the Jackson Purchase to Vanderbilt in the past two days alone. How can Paducah or Murray not have at LEAST a Level III trauma center? Of course, like everything else in this state, it seems like our leaders like our money going to surrounding states. For our amount of population and square mile land area, we have to have the fewest trauma centers. What is wrong with KY???

[InLondon]

That is typical, Kentucky's population is 4.3 million. How many trauma centers do we need?? It's not a disgrace at all. Kentucky has 3, Tennessee has 6 and their population is 6.2 million. So Kentucky is fine....

[kentuckydad95]

As with anything else, the western end of the state doesn't deserve a trauma center? Sure as hell Paducah and/or Murray needs one before Campbellsville.

Tennessee and KY have almost the same size in land area. Are you saying that if someone in the real rural area's of KY get into an accident, they are S.O.L. because they lack population? The population of the Jackson Purchase is around 200,000. You have farming accidents, shootings, atv accidents, tons of car accidents, college students that sometimes get out of control, bar fights, etc etc. I am still scratching my head on how Campbellsville got a trauma center.

[InLondon]

A trauma center depends on population, not the land area. Obviously, the more people, the more of a need for a trauma center.

[kentuckydad95]

Originally Posted by InLondon

A trauma center depends on population, not the land area. Obviously, the more people, the more of a need for a trauma center.

Campbellsville???

Taylor County and the surrounding counties that touch it equal 98,600 people. McCracken County and the surrounding counties that touch it equal 172,100.

You don't see a problem with that???

[kentuckydad95]

Originally Posted by kentuckydad95

Campbellsville???

Taylor County and the surrounding counties that touch it equal 98,600 people. McCracken County and the surrounding counties that touch it equal 172,100.

You don't see a problem with that???

I think the stats speak for themselves. I wonder if the Jackson Purchase could somehow become their own state? It would be larger than Rhode Island. LOL

[BLS2753]

Perhaps it's because of the close proximity of other states, and that little invention called the helicopter.

Cape Girardeau, Evansville, and Nashville are easily accessible by medevac, depending on what corner of the Purchase area you live in. Putting a centrally located trauma center in the Purchase area would not necessarily make for quicker response than what is available now.

[Beretta]

Love this thread! I am just going to throw out a few things to consider about Level 1 (or lesser level) Trauma Centers. It is VERY expensive to be a Level 1 Trauma Center. The medical center must maintain certain services on a 24/7 basis. Also, they must have 24/7 physician coverage for all affected services. Where certain physicians could be on call from home, at a Level 1 Trauma Center some services must be in house during off hours. Also, states usually have to help subsidize Trauma Centers to the tune of huge sums of money. That money has to come from somewhere and the taxpayers would have to ante up one way or the other. Why do they have to be subsidized? Medical care costs money and many trauma patients are not covered by a health insurance plan and/or do not pay their bills.

Depending on the payer mix of the trauma patients the hospital can do ok; however, it is a crapshoot. A hospital has to request to be a Trauma Center, and do all of the associated work to offer all of the services; so it might behoove the residents of KY to ask the local hospital systems and elected officials why there aren't more trauma centers.

Kudos to Vanderbilt for being there for the region and to TN for helping cover the costs of the trauma patients that are served throughout the state; no matter what the patients home state. It has been said that TN has a weird situation with two Level 1 Trauma Centers so close in proximity (Johnson City and Kingsport) but Kingsport does offer trauma services to many of the residents of southwest Virginia.

Do any of the KY residents go north for trauma or do they mostly all go to Nashville? (I am not sure of the geography)

[kentuckydad95]

Originally Posted by BLS2753

Perhaps it's because of the close proximity of other states, and that little invention called the helicopter.

Cape Girardeau, Evansville, and Nashville are easily accessible by medevac, depending on what corner of the Purchase area you live in. Putting a centrally located trauma center in the Purchase area would not necessarily make for quicker response than what is available now.

Paducah to Louisville-223 miles
Paducah to Nashville-140 miles
Paducah to St Louis- 175 miles
Paducah to Evansville- 135 miles

Cambpellsville to Lexington- 82 miles
Campbellsville to Nashville- 149 miles
Campbellsville to Louisville- 86 miles
Campbellsville to Evansville- 173 miles
Campbellsville to Cincy-164 miles

One interesting note is that there is a center in Cape, yet no one from the area is ever flown or driven by ambulance to the one in Cape. Maybe other people know something I don't about their facilities.

[kentuckydad95]

Originally Posted by SmokyMtnGal

Do any of the KY residents go north for trauma or do they mostly all go to Nashville? (I am not sure of the geography)

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.