HD43 - Virginia's Trauma Care System and Access to Health Care in the Commonwealth and Its Relationship to Present Developments in the Health Care Industry and Medical Technology

  • Published: 1987
  • Author: Joint Subcommittee
  • Enabling Authority: House Joint Resolution 65 (Regular Session, 1986)

Executive Summary:
During the 1986 Regular Session of the General Assembly, two resolutions were introduced calling for studies of various aspects of the health care system. House Joint Resolution No. 65, as introduced, requested a study of access to health care and its relationships to present developments in the health care industry and medical technology. House Joint Resolution No. 97 requested a study of Virginia's trauma care system. House Joint Resolution No. 65 became the vehicle for the consolidation of these two issues into a two-year study.

At the first meeting of the Joint Subcommittee appointed pursuant to HJR 65, Delegates J. Samuel Glasscock and Bernard S. Cohen explained the reasons for the introduction of the original resolutions. Conveying the observations of legislators, Delegate Glasscock pointed out that, although there have been a number of legislative studies related to access to care, none of these studies have been comprehensive in scope or addressed the relationships between access to health care and innovations in medical technology and the substantial changes taking place in the industry as well as the reimbursement systems. Delegate Cohen stated that HJR 97 had been initiated because of his concern about some seriously injured individuals who had not received the critical care which is so important during the first hour following the injury.

House Joint Resolution 65, as approved, established a seven-member committee consisting of three members of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions and one member of the House Committee on Appropriations and two members of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and one member of the Senate Committee on Finance.

The Joint Subcommittee was charged with studying (i) the needs of Virginia's trauma care system, including, but not limited to, the collection of data on trauma, appropriate triage of patients, evaluation and research on trauma, and the economic impact of trauma; and (ii) access to health care in the Commonwealth and its relationship to present developments in the health care industry and medical technology.