2013 -- H 5482

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LC01455

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2013

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A N A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY - EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION

SERVICES

     Introduced By: Representative Joseph M. McNamara

     Date Introduced: February 14, 2013

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 23-4.1-1, 23-4.1-3, 23-4.1-8 and 23-4.1-16 of the General Laws in

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Chapter 23-4.1 entitled "Emergency Medical Transportation Services" are hereby amended to

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read as follows:

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     23-4.1-1. Declaration of policy and purpose. -- (a) The general assembly declares that it

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is the policy of the state to save lives and speed the healing of persons injured in accidents or

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otherwise in need of medical service by providing an emergency care system that will bring the

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injured or sick person under the care of persons properly trained to care for the injured or sick in

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the shortest practical time and that will provide safe transportation for the injured or sick person

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to a treatment center prepared to receive the injured person.

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      (b) It is the purpose of this chapter to promote this policy by providing the means by

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which the best possible first aid treatment emergency medical care can be brought to the injured

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or sick person in the shortest practical time and by which the injured or sick person can be safely

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transported to a medical treatment center in proper equipment that is designed to provide

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supportive care for the injured or sick person and which is able to communicate with the medical

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treatment center regarding the treatment of the injured or sick person.

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      (c) It is the plan of this chapter to provide help for any scheme of emergency medical

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service that provides trained personnel, furnishes adequate equipment, and which furnishes

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emergency medical service to the public.

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      (d) It is not the intent of this chapter to prevent the operation of any nonprofit ambulance

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service which meets the minimum standards as provided by this chapter for the training of

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ambulance personnel and for medical service equipment.

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     23-4.1-3. Duties of the director. -- (a) The director of health, referred to as the

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"director," shall have full authority to implement the provisions of this chapter and shall be

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guided by the purposes and intent of this chapter.

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      (b) The director shall cooperate with hospitals, furnishers of ambulance services, local

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governments, police departments, fire departments, emergency units, first aid groups, or any other

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groups that furnish or work with groups that furnish emergency medical services.

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      (c) The director shall cooperate with concerned agencies and individuals to coordinate

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programs for training emergency medical technicians, and other persons who provide emergency

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medical care services, including dispatchers. If funds are available, the director may establish

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training grants to aid groups and communities to train people in emergency medical care.

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      (d) The standards used by the director under this chapter shall be reasonable and based

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upon local and statewide conditions. However, the minimum standards imposed by the director

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may be the standards issued by any responsible organization having its main concern the

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disposition of injured persons.

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      (e) The director shall annually submit a report to the governor and the general assembly.

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      (f) The director shall cooperate in the coordination of ambulance services throughout the

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state with local or state police and fire authorities and other concerned agencies and individuals,

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including the state civil defense agency Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency. This

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coordination may be tested by local exercises from time to time.

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      (g) The director shall cooperate with concerned agencies and individuals in the

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development of a state communications network involving the transportation of injured persons

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by vehicles licensed under this chapter and hospitals. The director may allocate available funds

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for the establishing and maintenance of a communications network involving vehicles, hospitals,

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and other emergency treating organizations within the state.

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      (h) The director shall cooperate with concerned agencies and individuals in the

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development of a plan for the coordination of ambulance dispatching services with the state.

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     23-4.1-8. Applications for license. -- (a) Any person, firm, partnership, corporation,

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municipality, volunteer units, or any other business or organization providing ambulance service

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shall, at the time of license application, furnish the director of health with a list of all persons

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authorized to act as an attendant of any ambulance owned or operated by the applicant.

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      (b) The director shall provide application forms for licenses under this section.

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      (c) Subject to the approval of the board, the The director shall make reasonable

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minimum standards of health, performance, fitness, education, and moral fitness. The director

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may use the guides established by the American College of Surgeons' Board of Regents or the

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National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians as a standard, except that a felony

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conviction shall not necessarily disqualify an attendant.

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      (d) Each applicant shall hold a current certificate of completion of at least an emergency

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medical technical-ambulance course approved by the board.

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      (e) If there is a hardship imposed upon any applicant for a license because of an unusual

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circumstance, the applicant may apply to the director for a temporary waiver of the licensing

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provisions for good cause shown. The director has the power to waive licensing provisions for a

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period not to exceed ninety (90) days.

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     23-4.1-16. Emergency medical services for children. -- (a) There is established within

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the department of health, division of emergency medical services (EMS), an emergency medical

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services for children (EMSC) program. The EMSC program, operated within the department of

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emergency medicine of Hasbro Children's Hospital, shall be recognized by the department of

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health as a resource to the state's overall emergency medical services system, in order to effect the

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provisions of this chapter. The objective and directive of the EMSC program shall be to continue,

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to the extent that funds through the federal government, state government or private sources are

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available for this purpose, the growth and development of those programs already in effect

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pursuant to the federal grant received under the maternal and child health bureau. The goal and

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objective of the program shall include, but shall not be limited to the following:

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      (1) To develop and implement new statewide EMS treatment protocols that emphasize

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pediatric emergency care, along with supporting EMT education and training programs;

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      (2) To develop programs for parents and communities, which shall:

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      (i) Identify and reduce barriers to emergency care for children;

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      (ii) Provide information relating to health promotion and injury prevention; and

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      (iii) Focus on recognition of emergencies, and improving access to and appropriate use

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of the local EMS systems; and

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      (3) The program shall also provide periodic case reviews and follow-up to EMS

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personnel in pediatric cases.

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      (b) The EMSC program may solicit, receive, and spend funds it receives from the federal

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government, state government or private sources to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

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      (c) The EMSC program may employ or contract with professional, technical, research,

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and clerical staff, and with health care facilities that have expertise in pediatric care, as necessary

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within the limits of available funding.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC01455

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY - EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION

SERVICES

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     This act would revise the statutes regarding emergency management transportation

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services in order to replace certain terminology to reflect current standards and practices.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC01455

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