St. Joseph Pulls Out of Trauma Network

Citing annual losses of up to $2 million for the last five years and accusing Gov. George Deukmejian of “hijacking” health care funds, officials at St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank announced Wednesday that the hospital will end its involvement with the county’s trauma care network June 19.

In formally announcing the move, James Sauer, St. Joseph administrator, said the hospital is not being adequately reimbursed by state and federal agencies for providing health services. He also said the closure is due to the trauma center operating costs and the cost of providing care to an increasing number of indigent patients.

With the pullout of St. Joseph, eight hospitals have quit the trauma care network since its inception in 1984.

Diverted Funds

Sauer said Deukmejian has diverted to other areas funds made available for health care by the passage last November of Proposition 99, which increased tobacco taxes.

“He has hijacked the funds and changed the will of the people,” he said. “It’s unconscionable.”

Trauma centers are designed to treat people suffering critical injuries. Each trauma center in the network is required to have a neurosurgeon and other trauma care specialists on duty 24 hours a day.

St. Joseph currently treats 650 trauma cases a year, Sauer said. About 20% of those cases are brought to the hospital from outside the assigned zone, he said.

When it entered the network, the hospital expected to handle only 350 cases a year, he said. Sauer added that the trauma center had to be closed 22 times in January because of a lack of beds.

Losses Detailed

Hospital officials said St. Joseph lost $1.5 million in 1987, and predicted that losses in 1988 will reach $2 million.

Sauer said that although the hospital is dropping out of the network, it will continue to treat trauma and emergency cases. Trauma care specialists will not be on duty 24 hours a day but will be in contact through beepers, he said.