HF 3098 Summary

• Commissioner of health shall adopt criteria for statewide trauma system ensuring severely injured people are promptly transported to appropriate trauma hospitals, addressing triage, transportation guidelines, hospital designation, interhospital transfers, trauma registry, and governance structure.

• Designates four to six levels of trauma hospitals with three-year designation periods; hospitals may extend designations up to 18 months on provisional basis if reverification process is pending and extension serves patient safety interests.

• Establishes new central trauma registry to collect demographic, injury, treatment, and outcome information from trauma hospitals; registry participation is mandatory and consent of injured person is not required.

• Creates Trauma Advisory Council with 15 members including trauma surgeons, emergency physicians, nurses, rural practitioners, pediatrician, orthopedic surgeon, EMS director, rehabilitation specialist, ambulance director, and public safety commissioner to advise on statewide trauma system development and maintenance.

• Repeals Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 144.607 and removes requirement for commissioner to report to legislature by September 1, 2009 on trauma system implementation.