Trauma forum in St. Lucie County will go ahead after all

By JAMES KIRLEY
jim.kirley@scripps.com
June 9, 2007

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Seizing a political opportunity, a group opposed to local taxpayers funding trauma care at a Fort Pierce hospital will host a public forum to replace a county meeting canceled earlier this week after pro-tax supporters refused to participate.

"The St. Lucie Association wishes to express its outrage at the circumstances that led to the decision to hold, and then cancel, Monday's forum on the so-called trauma tax," the political committee said in a statement released Friday. The association's meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Polish American Social Club in Port St. Lucie.

The county's forum was to be organized and broadcast by staff of SLCTV, the county's public access cable channel. The county pulled the plug Wednesday after Citizens for Trauma Care announced it would not participate.

"It was a matter of format," said Vernon Smith. He and fellow banking executive Hal Roberts co-chair the political committee that supports up to $7 million per year in taxes for Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute's trauma-care initiative.

Smith said he understood that people opposing the tax wanted to turn the county forum into a debate.

"There was no opportunity to say why a trauma center is needed," Smith said.

"I'm concerned about taxes," he added. "Government probably funds a hundred services. Where do you put enhanced medical care on that continuum?"

The most ill and critically injured patients in St. Lucie County are now flown to the nearest trauma center in either Palm Beach or Brevard counties. Backers of taxing 25 cents per $1,000 of property value say paying for specially trained doctors and technicians round-the-clock at Lawnwood would save lives by shaving precious minutes between injury and treatment.

Lawnwood and its sister hospital in Port St. Lucie are owned by HCA Inc.

Public funding of money-losing trauma medicine at corporate-owned hospitals is done elsewhere — most notably St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, where many of St. Lucie County's cases are now flown. But the idea is not popular among opponents of the June 26 referendum.

"We aren't against trauma care," said Richard Wilson, chairman of the St. Lucie Association. "If HCA wants to have a trauma center, I think it's wonderful. But we're totally against the taxpayers subsidizing them." The group invited Lawnwood to participate in Thursday's meeting.

Beth Williams, Lawnwood's director of marketing and public relations, has spoken to dozens of community groups to promote the tax.

"What happens if the referendum fails? We don't have a trauma center, plain and simple," she told such an audience Thursday night at the Lincoln Park Community Center.

"If it does pass, we will have trauma care in this community by Oct. 1," Williams said.

MONEY FOR VOTE

Two political committees are active in the June 26 referendum. The latest campaign finance reports were due Friday. They show the

political committee formed to support the tax far outspending the group opposing it.

CITIZENS FOR TRAUMA CARE

Total contributions: $33,165

Total expenses: $32,228

ST. LUCIE ASSOCIATION

Total contributions: $120

Total expenses: $0

Contributors:

St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections. Full finance reports for both groups can be viewed at www.slcelections.com.

MEETING THURSDAY

The St. Lucie Association has announced it will host a public forum 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Polish American Social Club, 343 N.W. Prima Vista Blvd., Port St. Lucie. People for and against a proposed property tax to fund trauma care are being invited to participate.

St. Lucie Association