Senator Johnny Isakson (above) is the Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. His office issued the following today:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 26,, 2018
Contact: Amanda Maddox, 202-224-7777
Camlin Moore, 202-224-9126
Isakson Applauds House Passage of Legislation to Boost Trauma Care in Civilian Hospitals
Urges Senate to pass his companion bill to authorize hiring of active-duty military in civilian hospitals
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for its passage of H.R.880, bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would provide grants to civilian hospitals to hire active-duty military personnel and help improve trauma response.
Isakson introduced companion legislation, the Military Injury Surgical Systems Integrated Operationally Nationwide to Achieve ZERO Preventable Deaths Act, called the MISSION ZERO Act for short, S.1022, in the Senate on May 3, 2017. The Senate has not yet voted on Isakson’s bill.
The MISSION ZERO Act would assign U.S. Department of Defense trauma surgeons to levels I, II and III civilian trauma centers to help fill a gap in care that was recently highlighted in a study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. The legislation also addresses variations in care methods while providing military surgeons with additional training.
“I applaud the U.S. House for supporting this legislation, which is a win-win-win for our trauma centers, our highly qualified and dedicated military doctors, and for patients,”said Isakson, who serves as chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “I urge the Senate to follow suit and act on this legislation without delay.”
Currently, trauma care in the United States is a patchwork of regional systems and incomplete data registries. Mortality and disability in traumatic injury can be greatly reduced by placing military doctors alongside civilian doctors between periods of active combat.
The MISSION ZERO Act is endorsed by the American Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Trauma Care Association of America, American College of Emergency Physicians and the American College of Surgeons.
The legislation also creates the Military and Civilian Partnership for Trauma Readiness Grant Program, which would develop two grant programs. Recipients of grant programs would be required to allow providers to be deployed by the Department of Defense for military operations, training or in response to a mass casualty incident. The two grant programs include:
· Grants awarded to at most 20 eligible high-acuity trauma centers to allow military trauma teams to provide full-time trauma care and related acute care at such centers:
o Grant shall be for between three and five fiscal years and may be renewed; and
o Grant shall be no more than $1 million.
· Grants awarded to eligible trauma centers to allow military-trauma-care providers to provide trauma care and related acute care at such centers:
o Grant shall be for a period of between one and three years; and
o Grant shall not exceed $100,000 for each military-trauma physician and not exceed $50,000 for each other trauma care provider.
Additionally, recipient trauma centers must report to the secretaries of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense on relevant grant information including number of cases, financial impact, educational impact, research conducted and other information. In turn, the secretaries of each department must report to Congress every two years regarding the effectiveness of this program.
In addition to Isakson, the legislation was introduced in the Senate by U.S. Senators John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill. The House version of the bill, H.R.880, which passed the House today, was introduced by Reps. Michael C. Burgess, M.D., R-Texas, Kathy Castor, D-Fla., Gene Green, D-Texas, Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., and Richard Hudson, R-N.C.
Isakson also introduced this legislation during the previous session of Congress in 2016.
###
Marie Hodge Gordon
| |
Press Secretary
| |
OFFICE OF UNITED STATES SENATOR JOHNNY ISAKSON
| |
3625 Cumberland Boulevard | Suite 970 | Atlanta, GA 30339
| |
phone: 770.661.0999 | fax: 770.661.0768
| |
Visit Johnny’s website to learn more about his work in the Senate and to sign up for his newsletter.
| |
