[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 84 (Wednesday, May 21, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E989]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          EARMARK DECLARATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. LAMAR SMITH

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 20, 2008

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I submit the following:
  Requesting Member: Congressman Lamar Smith.
  Bill Number: H.R. 5658.
  Account: Department of Defense, Army RDT&E (R-1 Line #30).
  Legal Name of Requesting Entity: The University of Texas Health 
Science Center at San Antonio.
  Address of Requesting Entity: 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 
78229-3900.
  Description of Request: The requested funds will be used to: 
Establish the National Center for Trauma Research, which will be the 
primary site for trauma research in the US; this will be accomplished 
through federal and non-federal funding; expand clinical research that 
benefits the nation's civilian and military trauma patient population, 
focusing on survival rates, pre-hospital interventions and surgical 
techniques; potential studies include wound healing, hemorrhage control 
with dressing, traumatic brain injury; establish telecommunications 
technology that connects the three trauma centers and Burn Center, 
necessary to coordinate disaster/bioterrorism response and also useful 
on a daily basis so that medical education opportunities at any 
facility are available across our system; develop a regional ICU 
Registry to parallel the current Regional Trauma Registry; coupling the 
data available in both allows researchers to study the entire patient 
episode, from pre-hospital to discharge and outcome; and support the 
infrastructure needed to accomplish these goals, given that during the 
same period new revenue streams from physician fee-for-service billing 
will partially replace the need for federal funding. NTI is directly 
leading to better care for combat casualties. Today military surgeons 
and nurses are continuing to be trained at NTI facilities prior to 
their deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan. Over 550 critically burned 
soldiers have been treated in San Antonio. The NTI is playing a 
critical role in our nation's battlefield medical response effort and 
helping to improve outcomes for these brave men and women.

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