Budget cuts mean state trauma registry not being analyzed

State officials say that because of budget cuts, Ohio’s trauma registry is so underfunded that staff is unable to analyze the data for people critically injured in car crashes, fires and shootings (Source: “State's trauma registry can't be analyzed,” Columbus Dispatch, Feb. 1, 2010).

The number of state employees working on the 11-year-old registry, which is housed at the state Emergency Medical Services division, has been cut from three to two, at the same time that the number of records has increased from 24,000 a year to 40,000. 

"When the legislation was written they simply didn't imagine the work entailed in getting the data back out and using it appropriately," said Tim Erskine, state trauma coordinator.