THOMASON HOSPITAL SEEKS FED AID TO TREAT DRUG WAR VICTIMS

EL PASO - Local officials received assurances from federal agencies
Wednesday that there is no coordination between the United States and
Mexican governments to transfer patients wounded in Mexico's drug wars
to Thomason Hospital.

Thomason CEO Jim Valenti, the hospital's Board of Managers Chairman
Ron Acton and County Commissioner Veronica Escobar traveled to
Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, and
leaders from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border
Protection and the Department of Homeland Security to discuss the
issue of people injured in Mexico crossing the border to receive
treatment at the hospital.

"We've received 24 patients related to the violence and the drug
cartel, and this is a disturbing trend," Valenti said.

Reyes arranged for the closed-door meeting in Washington after being
contacted by Valenti and others who asked for help in determining how
and why these patients are crossing the international border into El
Paso.

Valenti said he was grateful Reyes set up the meeting so soon after
receiving a letter from hospital officials July 21 asking for
assistance from the federal government in understanding and handling
the situation.

"I think primarily it was very positive because, number one, it helped
connect everyone and I really thank the congressman for having done
that," Escobar said. Among the top concerns for local officials was
whether El Paso was unique in the crossing of wounded patients into
the U.S.

"We received complete assurance that they are discharging their duties
uniformly and consistently across the U.S.-Mexico border," Valenti
said.

Reyes said in an e-mailed statement that all of the patients who have
been treated at Thomason were either U.S. citizens or had the proper
legal documentation to enter the United States.

Homeland Security officials "made clear there was no coordination by
the agency to bring these individuals to Thomason," Reyes said. "We
expressed our commitment to continue working together at all levels of
government to assist Thomason and explore further options to help
offset the costs associated with treating these patients."

Escobar said she had a sense that Reyes and the federal agency
officials present were very knowledgeable about the border situation,
particularly the way it is affecting El Paso.

"The thing that did give me hope was that they described similar
situations that have happened in the past and the fact that they have
subsided," Escobar said. "My hope is it does subside."

Local officials also arrived at the meeting with questions about who
would pay the bill for health care and security related to the
treatment of these patients.

"We received a commitment from Congressman Reyes to explore all
options of funding to Thomason to offset these costs," Valenti said.

Although some of the costs might be covered through Section 1011
funding that reimburses hospitals for caring for immigrants, Reyes
agreed to look for other funding sources for the medical and security
expenses.

On three occasions this year, Thomason Hospital was placed under
maximum security with law enforcement providing additional protection
for patients, visitors and employees at the hospital.

"At the county and Thomason, our responsibility is to make sure we
follow up and provide the congressman any data or testimony he needs
to make the case we are shouldering an added burden, a burden most
American cities are not having to shoulder not just in health care,
but security," Escobar said.

To determine whether and how the trend of wounded people seeking
treatment in the United States is affecting other cities, Reyes was
asked to research information of patients injured in Mexico and
arriving in U.S. trauma centers and to define the implications.

"The National Association of Public Hospitals and other executives and
CEOs at San Diego are all concerned about whether this is a trend that
is going to increase and affect their communities as well," Valenti
said.

Escobar said such a study including the effects on cities such as El
Paso could help the nation better understand the impact of the
nation's war on drugs and the role border cities play.

Valenti said he left the meeting with reassurances that El Paso,
Thomason Hospital and the local Texas Tech University campus would
continue to be safe.

"We rank as the second-or third-safest community, and we want to
acknowledge the federal agencies that make El Paso safe," Valenti said.

The group agreed to keep in communication to stay on top of the
situation.

"Now that we've all been in the same room and articulated the general
and specific concerns we all have, ... my hope is this partnership
doesn't just continue, but thrives and we're able to depend on each
other for cross communication and the sharing of data and
information," Escobar said.

Acton said the seriousness of the situation was underscored by the
high rank of the federal officials at the meeting.

"I feel that we absolutely clarified information, and with the
assurances that were given to us from the various departments, I don't
know how we could feel more assured," he said.

"My ending comment to the congressman was I came to listen and I came
to learn, and the caliber of people that he brought to this meeting
perhaps spoke more than any words could," Acton said.