Advocate
CNTR develops white papers, makes appropriations requests, and lends its support to member-led initiatives. CNTR gains its strength from the more than 232,000 trauma care professionals our member organizations represent. Our coalition includes trauma and orthopedic surgeons; emergency physicians, trauma nurses, pharmacists and rehabilitation specialists; and patient advocates–all working to improve outcomes for the millions of Americans who suffer traumatic injuries every year.
Advocacy
One of CNTR’s primary missions is to raise awareness about the extraordinary toll of traumatic injury in our society and the lack of federal resources to mitigate its effects. Over the past 50 years, federal agencies have issued reports decrying inadequate research investment and the resulting lagging advancement in outcomes for those suffering traumatic injuries. Thus, we visit with members of Congress annually to educate them about the need for funding, and to request specific appropriations for trauma research programs.
Timeline of Assessments Relevant to Civilian Trauma Research
National Research Council
“Research in trauma has suffered from the lack of recognition of trauma as a major public health problem.”
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National Research Council
“Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability in children and young adults…yet they receive scant attention, compared with diseases and other hazards.”
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Institute of Medicine
“The nation’s current investment in injury research is not commensurate with the magnitude of the problem.”
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Institute of Medicine
“The state of emergency care affects every American.”
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American Journal of Preventative Medicine
“No other ‘plague’ of this magnitude is tolerated in modern society.”
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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine
“The lack of formal, funded mechanisms for coordination, communication, and translation in trauma care has…contributed…to suboptimal outcomes for injured patients in the United States.”
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Sources: IOM, 1999, 2007b; NHTSA, 2004; NIH, 1994; NRC, 1966; NRC and IOM, 1985
Your Advocacy Tool Kit
Here’s what you can do to help!
It’s up to us to raise awareness of traumatic injury as a public health crisis and press our legislators to invest in research that will save lives and alleviate suffering.