A last-minute change to a bill passed Monday by the Mississippi Legislature means changed lives for North Mississippi residents seeking trauma care from the Elvis Presley Trauma Center, also known as The MED, in Memphis, Tenn. The original House Bill No. 1787 appropriated $6 million for the state's trauma care system and did not authorize use of the funds by trauma care systems outside of the state despite a big push to include The MED since it treats numerous patients from North Mississippi.
However, Sen. Delma Furniss, D-Rena Lara, noticed The MED was left out of the bill and urged it be sent back to committee where it was amended to include funding only The MED as an out-of-state trauma center.