George Danz

Director George Danz, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Broward has used Broward Removal Services for at least five years, said George Danz, chief of operations for Broward County's trauma director.

Right now , we [ barely ] have a patient load to justify the three trauma centers , said George Danz , director of the Broward County Trauma Management Agency.

The trauma agency and Broward's two tax-subsidized hospital districts , which run the trauma centers , asked the state to reconsider and said they might appeal the decision.An answer is due by April 1.

This is more than a medical debate.It stems from the competition among hospitals , pitting the districts against Westside , part of HCA The Healthcare Co..Each side says the other is more interested in money than medicine.

"Just to put one on every street corner so you could get there quickly and then not be able to treat them adequately does not make sense to me," county Trauma Director George Danz said.

State rules say a large, level-one unit such as Broward General and Memorial should have at least 1,000 patients a year, which both barely surpass, Danz said.North Broward handles about the state minimum of 500 for smaller, level-two centers.

Broward would be the only county in Florida with four trauma centers.Miami-Dade County has one unit, Palm Beach County two.

West Broward fire officials were quick to say Broward's system of trauma units and helicopters works fine, and said they knew of no patients who were harmed or endangered by the distance from a unit.An ambulance ride from the west can take 15 to 25 minutes, depending on traffic and weather.

Director George Danz