Grady Gets Less Trauma Funding Than Expected

By Odette Yousef

Atlanta, GA – Grady Hospital will get far less of a boost than anticipated, from a one-time injection of funds to the state's trauma network. The Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission today announced the financially-strapped hospital would get under $13 million.

The commission parceled out $58 million that the governor allocated for statewide trauma support in the mid-year budget. Of that, it was rumored that Grady could get up to $30 million. Still, commission chair Dr. Dennis Ashley says the formula was fair:

ASHLEY: It's four times what the medical center in Macon is getting. They're two-and-a-half times what Augusta's getting, and they're another about two-and-a-half-times of what Savannah's getting.

But State Senator Vincent Fort, who has lobbied hard for increased state support of the hospital, is disappointed:

FORT: If the trauma commission had used a formula that's anywhere near fair, Grady would have gotten at least $20 million, and probably approaching as much as $28 million.

Fort and Grady officials had hoped the one-time allocation would go a long way to help the hospital, after state lawmakers failed last session to find a permanent, annual funding source for state trauma services.