Two Clarke County hospitals are among 12 in southwest Alabama named to a new statewide trauma system that directs emergency medical personnel to the nearest medical center ready to treat victims.

Grove Hill Memorial Hospital and Jackson Medical Center are part of the system "designed to reduce the mortality and morbidity of Alabama's traumatically injured citizens," Dr. John Campbell, EMS and Trauma Medical director of the Alabama Department of Public Health explained.

State Health Officer Dr. Donald Williamson met with emergency medical workers and hospital representatives in Mobile Monday to discuss the program.

Williamson said the program seeks to make sure injured patients go to the right hospital as soon as possible.

Before, if an accident occurred, patients were transported to the nearest hospital if no preference was given. Sometimes a hospital doesn't have the appropriate equipment or medical staff to deal with a specific issue necessitating in the patient having to be moved again at the cost of valuable time.

The new trauma system connects participating hospitals through a computer system that is monitored 24 hours a day. It should shorten the time it takes to get a patient to the best-equipped emergency room.

Time can mean the difference in life and death sometimes. Statistics show that trauma is the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 45.

Emergency medical workers will make one phone call to the trauma system center for guidance and directions.

The Alabama Legislature approved expansion of the statewide trauma system in 2007. Programs already in effect in north Alabama and the Birmingham area provide coverage to about half of the state's residents.

The addition of the Gulf region will include Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe and Washington counties.