The Emergency Nurses Association presented its 2009 Public Service Award to U.S. Congressman Michael C. Burgess MD (R-TX) and U.S. Congressman Gene Green (D-TX) in honor of their longstanding shared record of promoting the establishment of statewide comprehensive trauma systems. These systems are the foundation on which coordinated care systems are constructed.

ENA President William Briggs, RN, MSN, CEN FAEN, presented the awards to Congressman Burgess and Congressman Green. These two men have a long history of strong public advocacy and active leadership in healthcare policy in the United States, said Briggs. The vision they promote is of systems focused on prevention and getting the right patient to the right facility at the right time. We applaud their work and their leadership in improving the quality and lowering the cost of health care.

The congressmen worked together to introduce and to build the broad base of support needed to pass the Trauma Care Systems Planning and Development Act, which President Bush signed into law on May 3, 2007. They are currently working in the 111th Congress to restore funding for the Health Resources and Services Administration s Trauma Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Program to the level authorized by the 2007 law.

As an Ob/Gyn who practiced for over 25 years, including a brief period as an ER doctor, and many times responded to emergencies in labor and delivery, I know firsthand the vital and irreplaceable work emergency nurses perform in high-risk situations, said Congressman Burgess. They must be prepared everyday for the unbelievable and unexpected, and are the backbone of our health care workforce. As a Member of Congress, I am committed to ensuring that our nation s health care professionals have the tools they need to best serve their patients. I am honored to be a recipient of the 2009 Public Service Award from the Emergency Nurses Association, and will continue to advocate on behalf of our nation s emergency nurses.

The Trauma Care Systems Planning and Development Act provided much needed funding to trauma centers across the country. Our goal was to make sure that trauma systems had the support they needed to help save lives, said Congressman Green. The Houston area is home to the Ben Taub and Memorial Hermann Level 1 Trauma Centers, which are increasingly forced to turn away seriously injured people due to emergency room overcrowding. I am honored to receive the 2009 Public Service Award alongside my colleague, Michael C. Burgess, who sponsored this law with me. I thank the Emergency Nurses Association for their dedication toward saving lives across their nation.

The events of September 11 and natural disasters like Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have served to underscore the importance of EMS, which is called upon to assist with a variety of needs including evacuation or transport of victims and caring for the injured and ill. The Trauma-EMS program was eliminated from FY 2006 budget and the Congressmen are leading the effort to restore funding for this crucial program.

About the Emergency Nurses Association

The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) is the only professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing and emergency care through advocacy, expertise, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA serves as the voice of more than 37,000 members and their patients through research, publications, professional development, injury prevention, and patient education. Additional information is available at ENA's Web site, www.ena.org.


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