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Shock Trauma, Sinai and Traumet warn of rising costs and the value of steady trauma funding
Summary
Shock Trauma and Maryland trauma centers told lawmakers that sustained, dedicated funding underpins 24/7 readiness, lowers mortality and supports prevention programs; witnesses urged lawmakers not to cut trauma-readiness funding tied to supply-and-demand and uncompensated care increases.
Testimony from Shock Trauma and other trauma centers emphasized that 24/7 readiness for severely injured patients requires ongoing, significant funding and that reductions would threaten a system Maryland leaders say is unique.
Tom Scala, representing Shock Trauma, described the center as a singular resource and stressed the scale of the operation. "Shock Trauma is the only freestanding trauma hospital in the United States," Scala said, adding that the center cares for "6,200 to 6,500 patients each year with a 96 to 97% survival rate." He said Shock Trauma maintains dedicated 24/7 readiness and serves as the system-wide backstop for patients who need highly specialized care.
Sinai Hospitaltrauma program manager James Ganon said the fixed, nonnegotiable costs of maintaining required specialty readiness are substantial: "At Sinai alone in FY22 just to maintain required specialty readiness it exceeded $21.5 million," he said, pointing to rising uncompensated care and the requirement that trauma centers treat all injured patients regardless of ability to pay.
Justin Graves, director of trauma programs at the University of Maryland Trauma Center, highlighted prevention, training and recovery programs that the statefunding supports. "Last year alone, our programs reached more than 22,000 Marylanders across 17 counties," Graves said, pointing to Stop the Bleed trainings, hospital-based violence-prevention screening and a new trauma recovery clinic.
Kyle Remick, chair of the Maryland Trauma Center Network (Traumet), told legislators Marylandtreats roughly 34,000 trauma patients a year outside of Shock Trauma and that on-call physician fees and new specialty centers are increasing operational costs.
Why the testimony matters
Witnesses argued that stable trauma funding saves lives and provides net economic benefits; they urged the subcommittee to preserve targeted trauma readiness and physician-service funds rather than shifting or reducing support that helps sustain on-call specialists and specialty capacity across the state.
Committee members thanked the trauma providers and requested follow-up materials on how proposed budget actions might affect trauma readiness and the trauma physician services fund.
