Client News
Orlando Sentinel: Osceola must get a trauma center
Monday, July 22, 2013
Currently, not only Kissimmee but all of Osceola County is without a trauma center, and all of Central Florida must rely on one adult and one pediatric trauma center.
As part of the Florida Department of Health’s review of the current trauma rule and the number of trauma centers allocated in communities across the state, we urge the department’s leadership to put our community’s needs first and create a path for Osceola to open a state-of-the-art trauma facility.
Because of Disney World and other tourist attractions, we are a destination that attracts millions of vacationers, significantly increasing the number of people who must rely on local trauma services. We are not prepared for a large-scale emergency, and we are all too aware that in a traumatic situation, seconds can be the difference between life and death.
We hope DOH takes our concern for Kissimmee and Osceola County into consideration, and we hope that Osceola is allowed to move forward with opening a local trauma center to meet the needs of our growing community.
Jim Swan Mayor of Kissimmee
Editor’s note: The letter above was signed by four more Kissimmee officials.