CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill No. 1650

Introduced by Assembly Member Maienschein

February 17, 2017

An act to amend Section 1797.218 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to emergency medical services.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1650, as introduced, Maienschein. Emergency medical services: community paramedicine.
Existing law, the Emergency Medical Services System and the Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Personnel Act, governs local emergency medical services (EMS) systems. The act establishes the Emergency Medical Services Authority, which is responsible for the coordination and integration of all state agencies concerning emergency medical services. Among other duties, the authority regulates the training and scope of practice of prehospital emergency medical care personnel, including, but not limited to, emergency medical technician-II (EMT-II) and emergency medical technician-paramedic (EMT-P). The local EMS agency is responsible for implementation of advanced life support systems and limited advanced life support systems and for the monitoring of training programs. Existing law specifies the situations in which the local EMS agency may authorize an advanced life support or limited advanced life support program that provides services utilizing EMT-II and EMT-P personnel.
This bill would additionally authorize a local EMS agency to authorize a community paramedicine program that provides services utilizing EMT-P personnel for the delivery of medical care and is consistent with a specified community paramedicine pilot project authorized by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. The goals of a community paramedicine program authorized under the bill would include, but not be limited to, providing more effective, efficient, and timely health care and lowering health care costs.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 1797.218 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

1797.218.
 Any (a) A local EMS agency may authorize an advanced life support or limited advanced life support program which that provides services utilizing EMT-II or EMT-II, EMT-P, or both, for the delivery of emergency medical care to the sick and injured at the scene of an emergency, during transport to a general acute care hospital, during interfacility transfer, while in the emergency department of a general acute care hospital until care responsibility is assumed by the regular staff of that hospital, and during training within the facilities of a participating general acute care hospital.
(b) A local EMS agency may authorize a community paramedicine program that provides services utilizing EMT-P personnel for the delivery of medical care, and is consistent with the community paramedicine pilot project authorized by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development’s Health Workforce Pilot Projects Program in 2014. The goals of a community paramedicine program authorized under this subdivision shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
(1) Providing more effective, efficient, and timely health care.
(2) Avoiding unnecessary transports to hospital emergency departments.
(3) Relieving emergency department overcrowding.
(4) Reducing hospital readmissions.
(5) Lowering health care costs.