Kaiser officials talked about their trauma center proposal at Thursday's meeting of the Solano County Emergency Medical Services Cooperative. Cooperative board members discussed methods to establish trauma centers in general.

A local trauma center would mean faster emergency treatment for those seriously hurt, among other benefits.

"It's about time," board member Richard Watson said.

Board members seemed to want to avoid getting involved in any competition between Kaiser and NorthBay to establish a trauma center. For the most part, they talked of creating ways to ensure that any local trauma centers meet the necessary standards.

"This is not a competitive business process that will eliminate anybody," board member and Suisun Fire Chief Michael O'Brien said. "It's up to your own business plan whether you want to play or not."

Still, some dissenting voices arose on how to proceed and what would be the best course for Solano County and its citizens.

NorthBay Healthcare officials in September talked of establishing a Level III trauma center in 2012 at its Fairfield hospital, then moving the center to its Vacaville hospital when a $112 million expansion there is finished. A Level III center could treat most trauma cases, but not people with severe head injuries and other neurological complications.

Under the plan outlined at Thursday's meeting, the SEMSC board would approve an application form listing the standards for Level III trauma centers. Solano County Emergency Medical Services would then award such status to any hospital that met the criteria.

Kaiser Permanente proposed establishing a Level II center at its Vacaville hospital. Such a center would have a neurosurgeon and could accept more severe cases than a Level III center. While Solano County can have numerous Level III centers, the state will allow it to have only one Level II center, with this center to be chosen by the SEMSC board.

Max Villalobos of Kaiser Permanente urged the cooperative to do a countywide needs assessment before allowing any trauma centers. Among other things, that would show whether the county can support both a Level II and Level III center.

But the board leaned toward allowing Level III applications in the near future and doing a needs assessment for a Level II trauma center. County Emergency Medical Services Administrator Ted Selby said it's already clear that Solano County needs a Level III center.

"It just seems we need to proceed rather than delay," he said.

County Health Officer Bela Matyas noted Villalobos' comment that Kaiser Permanente in Vallejo serves as a "de facto" Level III trauma center. That can happen when patients cannot be moved quickly enough to an official center outside of Solano County. The longer Solano County waits to certify a center, the longer patients will have to go outside the county or to hospitals in the county without certification, he said.

Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646, ext. 232, or beberling@dailyrepublic.net.