SB 149

This bill creates an approval process for community paramedics, community

emergency medical technicians, and community emergency medical services

providers. The bill also specifies that an emergency medical technician who is acting

upon a delegation by a health care provider does not violate the actions authorized

by the Department of Health Services for emergency services when performing

actions in accordance with the delegation.

The bill establishes criteria for an approval as a community paramedic or

community emergency medical technician, including completion of a training

program approved by DHS. An individual may provide services as a community

paramedic or community emergency medical technician only if he or she is a

volunteer for or an employee of an ambulance service provider or nontransporting

emergency medical technician provider that has approval as a community

emergency medical services provider or if he or she is an employee of or under

contract with a hospital, clinic, or physician. A community paramedic or community

emergency medical technician is required to follow any protocols and supervisory

standards established by DHS or by a medical director. A community paramedic or

community emergency medical technician may perform services 1) for which he or

she is trained under the training program; 2) that are not duplicative of services

already being provided to a patient; and 3) that are either approved by the hospital,

clinic, or physician for which he or she is an employee or contractor or that are

incorporated in the patient care protocol submitted by the community emergency

medical services provider.

The bill also establishes criteria for ambulance service providers and

nontransporting emergency medical technician providers to be approved as

community emergency medical services providers including establishing,

submitting to DHS, and maintaining patient care protocols for use by community

paramedics or community emergency medical technicians and providing a list of

each community paramedic or community emergency medical technician of the

community emergency medical services provider. A community emergency medical

services provider may include in its patient care protocols only those services that

do not require a license, certificate, or other credential from any of the following

examining boards: medical; physical or occupational therapy; podiatry; nursing;

chiropractic; dentistry; optometry; pharmacy; psychology; marriage and family

therapy, professional counseling, and social work; or hearing and speech or as an

acupuncturist.