Font ResizeCalifornia's poison control agency is fighting for financial survival now that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has cut its funding in the wake of a clear message from state voters earlier this month.
The California Poison Control System was set to receive $5.9 million next fiscal year, but Schwarzenegger eliminated it from his budget proposal while dealing with a deficit now estimated at $24 billion.
If funding is not restored during negotiations between the Governor's Office and the Legislature, the system will be out of business by September. California will then be the only state without poison control services.
Stuart Heard, the CPCS executive director, is not confident about receiving a last-minute lifeline.
"Our view is that it's 99.9 percent likely to happen unless significant attention gets focused on it and the Legislature sees its way clear not to eliminate it," Heard said Friday.
The system has hired a public relations consultant and is urging state residents to contact their elected representatives and the Governor's Office to insist that the money be restored.
The state's contribution is matched by federal grants, but that money will be lost if the governor's recommendation is approved.
About one quarter of California's registered voters participated in the May 19 election. They rebuked Schwarzenegger's plan to deal with the mounting deficit, then estimated at $21 billion, by a 2-1 margin.
Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said even though turnout was small, voters sent a clear message to cut spending and not raise taxes.
"None of these choices are easy," he said of the program cuts. "But with a $24 billion deficit there are simply no good choices left."
He also points out that the recession has cut state revenues by 27 percent.
"We can't promise the people services that we can't deliver," he said.
Heard said that the service is cost effective, saving $70 million in health care costs annually and preventing about 164,000 emergency room visits.
Emergency room doctors, nurses and other health professionals also use the system as their primary resource for managing poison exposures.
The system employs 72 people, including pharmacists, registered nurses, physicians and poison information providers and operates a call center.
A board-certified physician toxicologist is available at all times for specialized consultations.
The CPCS was established in 1997 and is headquartered at the University of California, San Francisco, Laurel Heights campus.
It reports to the California Emergency Medical Services Authority and is administered by the UC San Francisco School of Pharmacy, Department of Clinical Pharmacy.
It has operations at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, San Francisco General Hospital, Children's Hospital Central California in Fresno and the UC San Diego Medical Center.
