Two of our region’s most important hospitals achieved important milestones last week.

On Thursday, University Medical Center Brackenridge and Dell Children’s Medical Center were both recognized as Level 1 trauma centers.

For hospitals, this is a vital designation. It certifies that a facility can treat patients with the most complex treatments and procedures, and it demonstrates that a hospital is better able to conduct medical research.

For years, Austin has been the biggest city in the country without such a facility, and a lot of good people have done a lot of good work to end that distinction. So last week’s announcement is a tribute to how far we’ve come and how much we’ve accomplished.

But as important and significant as this milestone is, the state could do more to help these hospitals, and others across the state, provide these vital services.

Texas has a designated fund to expand and improve hospital services. And there are hundreds of millions of dollars – money that’s largely collected through fines on driving offenses – sitting in that fund and waiting to be given to hospitals that need it.

Unfortunately, budget writers for years have diverted that money — and hundreds of millions of dollars more in other designated funds — and used it to balance the state budget. This is money raised for one specific, inevitably popular purpose that instead is hoarded to allow the state to spend more money on other things.

I passed an amendment during the last legislative session which, at a minimum, will make the budget more transparent and let Texans know how these dedicated funds are really being used.

I’m hopeful that a little bit of sunlight will at least start to slow these budget diversions. Because the problem itself has only gotten worse, and this past session was no exception.

In 2007, the state’s budget writers used a bit more than $3 billion from dedicated funds to balance the budget. This year, they hoarded more than $3.6 billion to justify higher state spending.

The trauma fund has been among the more prominent victims of this bad habit. As of right now, there’s about $238 million sitting in the fund unspent. According to current projections, that total’s going to balloon to more than $331 million – a 39 percent increase – by 2011.

In addition, over the next two years, the state will divert::

• $670 million for low-income electricity ratepayers

• $515 million for clean air

• $186 million for petroleum storage tank remediation

• $157 million for fugitive apprehension

• and another $1.8 billion for things like state parks, 911 service, and volunteer fire department assistance.

The new two-year budget went into effect this week. That means the state has 16 months before the legislature reconvenes to start working on the next budget. I’m going to spend much of that time working on ways to end these diversions.

It’s not going to be easy, particularly in a tough budget cycle. But getting this issue fixed is a marathon, not a sprint.