Pennsylvania Code
Title 28 - HEALTH AND SAFETY
Part VII - Emergency Medical Services
Subpart A - EMS System
Chapter 1023 - PERSONNEL
Subchapter A - ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPERVISORY EMS PERSONNEL
Section 1023.1 - EMS agency medical director
Universal Citation: 28 PA Code ยง 1023.1
Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024
(a) Roles and responsibilities. An EMS agency medical director is responsible for:
(1) Providing medical
guidance and advice to the EMS agency, including:
(i) Reviewing the Statewide EMS protocols and
Department-approved regional EMS protocols that are applicable to the EMS
agency and ensuring that its EMS providers and other relevant personnel are
familiar with the protocols applicable to the EMS agency.
(ii) Performing medical audits of EMS
provided by the EMS agency's EMS providers.
(iii) Participating in and reviewing quality
improvement and peer reviews of EMS provided by the EMS agency.
(iv) Reviewing regional mass casualty and
disaster plans and providing guidance to the EMS agency regarding its provision
of EMS under those plans.
(v)
Providing guidance to the EMS agency, when applicable, with respect to the
ordering, stocking and replacement of medications, and compliance with laws and
regulations impacting upon the EMS agency's acquisition, storage and use of
those medications.
(vi) Making an
initial assessment of each EMS provider at or above the AEMT level to determine
whether the EMS provider has the knowledge and skills to competently perform
the skills within the EMS provider's scope of practice, and a commitment to
adequately perform other functions relevant to the EMS provider providing EMS
at that level. This subparagraph does not apply if the EMS provider was working
for the EMS agency at the same level prior to the physician becoming the
medical director for the EMS agency and the EMS provider was credentialed at
that EMS agency within the last 12 calendar months as being able to perform at
the EMS provider's certification level.
(vii) Making an assessment, within 12
calendar months of the last assessment, of each EMS provider at or above the
AEMT level to determine whether the EMS provider has demonstrated competency in
the knowledge and skills to perform the skills within the EMS provider's scope
of practice, and a commitment to adequately perform other functions relevant to
the EMS provider providing EMS at that level.
(viii) Recommending to the EMS agency that an
EMS provider not be permitted to provide EMS at the EMS provider's
certification level if the EMS agency medical director determines that the EMS
provider has not demonstrated competency in the knowledge and skills to perform
the skills within the EMS provider's scope of practice, or a commitment to
adequately perform other functions relevant to the EMS provider providing EMS
at that level, and recommending restrictions on the EMS provider's practice for
the EMS agency, if appropriate, to ensure patient safety.
(ix) Providing medical direction for the EMS
agency dispatch center if the EMS agency operates an EMS agency dispatch
center.
(2) Maintaining a
liaison with the regional EMS medical director.
(3) Participating in the regional and
Statewide quality improvement programs.
(4) Recommending to the relevant regional EMS
council, when appropriate, EMS protocols for inclusion in the Statewide and
regional EMS protocols.
(5)
Recommending to the Department the suspension, revocation or restriction of an
EMS provider's certification.
(b) Minimum qualifications. To qualify and continue to function as an EMS agency medical director, an individual shall:
(1) Be a
physician.
(2) Satisfy one of the
following:
(i) Have successfully completed an
emergency medicine residency program accredited by a residency program
accrediting body recognized by the State Board of Medicine or the State Board
of Osteopathic Medicine.
(ii) Have
successfully completed a residency program in surgery, internal medicine,
family medicine, pediatrics or anesthesiology, accredited by a residency
program accrediting body recognized by the State Board of Medicine or the State
Board of Osteopathic Medicine. The physician shall also have successfully
completed or taught the ACLS course within the preceding 2 years and have
completed, at least once, the ATLS course and PALS course or APLS course, or
other programs determined by the Department to meet or exceed the standards of
these programs.
(iii) Have served
as an ALS medical director under the Emergency Medical Services Act
(35
P. S. §§ 6921-6938) (repealed by
the act of August 18, 2009 (P. L. 308, No. 37)) prior to February 16,
2010.
(3) Have a valid
Drug Enforcement Agency number.
(4)
Have completed an EMS agency medical director course or an EMS fellowship or
other EMS training program that is determined by the Department to be
equivalent. This training shall ensure that the EMS agency medical director has
knowledge of:
(i) The scope of practice of
EMS providers.
(ii) The provision
of EMS under Statewide EMS protocols.
(iii) The interface between EMS providers and
medical command physicians.
(iv)
Quality improvement and peer review principles.
(v) Emergency medical dispatch principles and
EMS agency communication capabilities.
(vi) EMS system design and
operation.
(vii) Federal and State
laws and regulations regarding EMS.
(viii) Regional and State mass casualty and
disaster plans.
(ix) Patient and
EMS provider safety principles.
This section cited in 28 Pa. Code § 1023.21 (relating to general rights and responsibilities); 28 Pa. Code § 1027.3 (relating to licensure and general operating standards); and 28 Pa. Code § 1033.2 (relating to administration, management and medical direction requirements).
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Pennsylvania may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
