The discontinuation of Level 1 trauma services at St. James Hospital and Health Centers in Olympia Fields as of July 1 underscores the need for such a facility in Northwest Indiana, hospital and legislative officials said Friday.

"That would devastate all of Northwest Indiana. That trauma center is a major source of Level 1 care here," said state Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary.

The need for a Level 1 trauma center in this area "will become a front-burner issue for the Health Finance Commission (of the Indiana General Assembly) this summer," he said.

The leader of Methodist Hospitals said his facility "is very concerned" about closing the St. James Olympia Fields Level 1 trauma unit.

That "creates more stress on the system, especially for other trauma centers that will now be asked to take additional patients," said Claude Watts, CEO and president of Methodist Hospitals.

"This further fuels the need to have a designated trauma center in Northwest Indiana," Watts said.

"Currently we are moving in that direction and that has lessened our dependency on sending patients out, but we still have a need."

Discussions have been ongoing for more than a year to build a $200 million teaching hospital in Gary's Gleason Park area near Indiana University Northwest.

The new hospital might be a joint partnership between Methodist Hospitals and either IUN's medical school or another Northwest Indiana hospital, Brown said.

The lack of such a Level 1 trauma center in Northwest Indiana centers around money, Brown said.

"Most hospitals have shied away from a Level 1 trauma center mainly because of the cost," he said. "Methodist says it doesn't have the revenue (to build the Gleason Park area hospital). But this is an ideal opportunity to have a new facility that will be identified as a teaching hospital," Brown said.

"Now the challenge becomes where can we get the revenue or how can we increase the level of trauma treatment here."

By 2010, IUN will become a four-year medical school, which would supply doctors needed for all specialties and a Level 1 trauma center, he said.

Porter Healthy System also is evaluating adding a Level 1 trauma center at its new Porter Regional Hospital, planned for the corner of U.S. 6 and the Ind. 49 bypass. That evaluation began in mid-May.

"There is obviously a gap in Northwest Indiana (in Level 1 trauma care) that we are looking to fill. We're looking into it for Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties," said Kelly Credit, director of systems strategy and marketing for Porter Health System.

The closing of the St. James Level 1 facility "doesn't affect our timeline, but it reinforces that there is a need," she said.

Credit said the new hospital's location gives it proximity to the Indiana Toll Road and the Interstate 80/94 expressway. "It is also between the three counties," she said.