395.402  Trauma service areas; number and location of trauma centers.--

(1)  The Legislature finds that it is appropriate to recognize as a trauma patient someone with an injury severity score (ISS) of 9 or greater. The Legislature also recognizes that Level I and Level II trauma centers should each be capable of annually treating a minimum of 1,000 and 500 patients, respectively, with an injury severity score of 9 or greater. Further, the Legislature finds that, based on the numbers and locations of trauma victims with these injury severity scores, there should be 19 trauma service areas in the state, and, at a minimum, there should be at least one trauma center in each service area.

(2)  It is the intent of the Legislature that, as a planning guideline, Level I and Level II trauma centers should generally each provide care annually to a minimum of 1,000 and 500 patients, respectively. Level II trauma centers in counties of more than 500,000 population are expected to be able to care for 1,000 patients per year, as a planning guideline.

(3)  The following trauma service areas are to be utilized in developing a system of state-sponsored trauma centers. These areas are subject to periodic revision by the Legislature based on recommendations made as part of local or regional trauma plans approved by the department pursuant to s. 395.401(2). These areas shall, at a minimum, be reviewed by the Legislature prior to the next 7-year verification cycle of state-sponsored trauma centers.

(a)  The following trauma service areas are hereby established:

1.  Trauma service area 1 shall consist of Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton Counties.

2.  Trauma service area 2 shall consist of Bay, Gulf, Holmes, and Washington Counties.

3.  Trauma service area 3 shall consist of Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla Counties.

4.  Trauma service area 4 shall consist of Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Putnam, Suwannee, and Union Counties.

5.  Trauma service area 5 shall consist of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns Counties.

6.  Trauma service area 6 shall consist of Citrus, Hernando, and Marion Counties.

7.  Trauma service area 7 shall consist of Flagler and Volusia Counties.

8.  Trauma service area 8 shall consist of Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Sumter Counties.

9.  Trauma service area 9 shall consist of Pasco and Pinellas Counties.

10.  Trauma service area 10 shall consist of Hillsborough County.

11.  Trauma service area 11 shall consist of Hardee, Highlands, and Polk Counties.

12.  Trauma service area 12 shall consist of Brevard and Indian River Counties.

13.  Trauma service area 13 shall consist of DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties.

14.  Trauma service area 14 shall consist of Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie Counties.

15.  Trauma service area 15 shall consist of Charlotte, Glades, Hendry, and Lee Counties.

16.  Trauma service area 16 shall consist of Palm Beach County.

17.  Trauma service area 17 shall consist of Collier County.

18.  Trauma service area 18 shall consist of Broward County.

19.  Trauma service area 19 shall consist of Dade and Monroe Counties.

(b)  Each trauma service area should have at least one Level I or Level II trauma center.

(c)  There shall be no more than a total of 44 state-sponsored trauma centers in the state.

History.--ss. 5, 15, ch. 90-284; ss. 37, 98, ch. 92-289.