Closing Another Trauma Center

It was with shock and sadness that we read about the closing of Fountain Valley Trauma Center.

In 1987, our three children were in a car accident that critically injured our 9-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son. Our children are alive because of the care they received in the first “golden” hour at Fountain Valley.

Not only were specialized doctors and nurses available to deal with their immediate crises, but also a pediatric critical-care team pulled our daughter through a very critical first week. This story could be told by countless parents who owe their children’s lives to these dedicated experts--experts who have the training to make split-second decisions that save lives.

It is apparent that the problem to be addressed is the uninsured patient. The Trauma Center treats about 1,000 patients a year, yet the yearly deficit of $500,000 to $1 million can be incurred by a handful of uninsured patients. By forcing the hospital to absorb this loss, all of us who are insured will also be deprived of this critical care.

We feel the county needs to step in and save this center. The cost of keeping the center open pales against the cost of closing it. The cost will be the lives of children like ours, or maybe yours. It will be small consolation to those parents that we could not “afford” to keep the Fountain Valley trauma center open. How can we afford not to?

CRAIG THORNTON

DEE-DEE THORNTON

Huntington Beach