Natividad Medical Center’s new Trauma Center got the go-ahead this week to hire about new medical staff. Monterey County Supervisors approved the plan Tuesday. Officials say the annual 8.8 million dollar cost for the 70 new workers makes up about a third of the projected 26.9 million dollar yearly cost of the county-owned center. Natividad was chosen over Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital in a bidding process to have the trauma center program, the first of it’s kind in the area. The program is expected to be fully operational by the beginning of next year.
