Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024
(a)
Roles and responsibilities. A PHP performs for an EMS agency
basic and advanced EMS skills within the scope of practice of a physician under
the Medical Practice Act of 1985 (63 P. S. §§ 422.1-422.51a) or the Osteopathic Medical
Practice Act (63 P. S. §§ 271.1-271.18) as follows:
(1) As a member of the crew of an ambulance
or squad vehicle.
(2) As a member
of a QRS to stabilize and improve a patient's condition in an out-of-hospital
setting.
(3) As a member of a
special operations EMS service.
(4)
As a first aid or safety officer, or in a similar capacity.
(b)
Certification. The
Department will certify as PHP a physician who meets the following
qualifications:
(1) Completes an application
for PHP certification on a form or through an electronic process, as prescribed
by the Department.
(2) Has
successfully completed one of the following:
(i) A residency program in emergency medicine
accredited by a residency program accrediting body recognized by the State
Board of Medicine or the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine.
(ii) The first year of a residency program
that satisfies the requirements in subparagraph (i) and the ACLS course, the
ATLS course, the APLS or PALS course or, for each of these courses, a course
that the Department determines meets or exceeds the requirements of the
course.
(iii) A residency program
in anesthesia, general surgery, internal medicine or family medicine, by a
residency program accrediting body recognized by the State Board of Medicine or
the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine, and the ACLS course, the ATLS course,
the APLS or PALS course or, for each of these courses, a course that the
Department determines meets or exceeds the requirements of the
course.
(3) Has a current
certificate evidencing successful completion of a CPR course acceptable to the
Department.
(4) Has passed a
practical test of EMS skills prescribed by the Department for a PHP or served
as a prehospital health professional physician prior to October 12,
2013.
(c)
Transition for prehospital health professional physicians. A
physician who served as a prehospital health professional physician prior to
April 10, 2014, and who satisfies the certification requirements under
subsection (b)(2), may serve as a PHP until July 9, 2014, without having
secured a certification as a PHP.
(d)
Biennial registration.
(1) When a PHP certification is issued it is
deemed registered through December 31 of that year, if it is issued in an
odd-numbered year, or through December 31 of the next odd-numbered year, if it
is issued in an even-numbered year. Thereafter, a PHP shall biennially register
the certification by completing a form or through an electronic process, as
prescribed by the Department. A PHP shall submit the form or complete the
electronic process at least 30 days prior to the expiration of a current
registration. Failure to do so in a timely manner may result in the PHP
certification not being registered again before the prior registration expires.
The Department will issue a new registration within 30 days after the PHP
completes the form or the electronic process if the information provided
establishes that the PHP has satisfied the following:
(i) Has a current physician license or
current registration of that license.
(ii) Has completed the continuing education
requirements for biennial registration of a PHP certification in §
1023.31(h)
(relating to continuing education requirements).
(2) A PHP who is a member of the armed forces
who is returning from active military service and whose PHP registration has
expired or will expire within 12 months after returning from active military
service may secure an exception to the biennial registration requirements under
§
1023.21(d)
(relating to general rights and responsibilities).
(e)
Scope of practice. A PHP
may perform skills within a paramedic's scope of practice and other skills
within the practice of medicine or osteopathic medicine. A PHP may not perform
a skill that the PHP has not been educated to perform. A regional EMS medical
director shall verify that a PHP who is also an EMS agency medical director and
who qualifies for PHP certification by satisfying the requirements in
subsection (b)(2)(iii) has the competency to perform all skills within a
paramedic's scope of practice.
This section cited in 28 Pa. Code §
1023.31 (relating to continuing
education requirements).
