Medical, business groups launch trauma campaign

ATLANTA - A group of medical and business organizations is launching a campaign Wednesday to try to convince voters to support a $10 increase in car tags to fund a statewide network of trauma-care facilities.

While the state has more than 100 hospitals with some type of emergency room, just 16 have what medical experts classify as a trauma-care center. That's about half of what they say is needed.

As a result, Georgians die at a 20 percent higher rate from accidents like falls and car wrecks than the national average.

"We don't think Georgians should be dying more than the national average because they live in Georgia," said Dr. Dennis Ashley, chief of trauma care at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon. "Our legislators finally heard it."

In the last session, legislators agreed to let voters decide on the November ballot whether to change the constitution and add a fee to tags.

Supporters of the constitutional amendment - which will be labeled "No. 2" on the ballot - hope the fee will

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