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Public Act 103-0547
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SB0761 Enrolled | LRB103 03215 CPF 48221 b |
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AN ACT concerning regulation.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, |
represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems |
Act is amended by changing Sections 3.20, 3.55, and 3.85 and by |
adding Section 3.22 as follows:
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(210 ILCS 50/3.20)
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Sec. 3.20. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems. |
(a) "Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System" means an
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organization of hospitals, vehicle service providers and
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personnel approved by the Department in a specific
geographic |
area, which coordinates and provides pre-hospital
and |
inter-hospital emergency care and non-emergency medical
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transports at a BLS, ILS and/or ALS level pursuant to a
System |
program plan submitted to and approved by the
Department, and |
pursuant to the EMS Region Plan adopted for
the EMS Region in |
which the System is located. |
(b) One hospital in each System program plan must be
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designated as the Resource Hospital. All other hospitals
which |
are located within the geographic boundaries of a
System and |
which have standby, basic or comprehensive level
emergency |
departments must function in that EMS System as
either an |
Associate Hospital or Participating Hospital and
follow all |
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System policies specified in the System Program
Plan, |
including but not limited to the replacement of drugs
and |
equipment used by providers who have delivered patients
to |
their emergency departments. All hospitals and vehicle
service |
providers participating in an EMS System must
specify their |
level of participation in the System Program
Plan. |
(c) The Department shall have the authority and
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responsibility to: |
(1) Approve BLS, ILS and ALS level EMS Systems which
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meet minimum standards and criteria established in rules
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adopted by the Department pursuant to this Act, including
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the submission of a Program Plan for Department approval.
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Beginning September 1, 1997, the Department shall approve
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the development of a new EMS System only when a local or
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regional need for establishing such System has been
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verified by the Department. This shall not be construed as |
a needs assessment for health
planning or
other purposes |
outside of this Act.
Following Department approval, EMS |
Systems must
be fully operational within one year from the |
date of
approval. |
(2) Monitor EMS Systems, based on minimum standards |
for
continuing operation as prescribed in rules adopted by |
the
Department pursuant to this Act, which shall include
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requirements for submitting Program Plan amendments to the
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Department for approval. |
(3) Renew EMS System approvals every 4 years, after
an |
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inspection, based on compliance with the standards for
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continuing operation prescribed in rules adopted by the
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Department pursuant to this Act. |
(4) Suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew approval of
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any EMS System, after providing an opportunity for a
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hearing, when findings show that it does not meet the
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minimum standards for continuing operation as prescribed |
by
the Department, or is found to be in violation of its
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previously approved Program Plan. |
(5) Require each EMS System to adopt written protocols
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for the bypassing of or diversion to any hospital, trauma
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center or regional trauma center, which provide that a |
person
shall not be transported to a facility other than |
the nearest
hospital, regional trauma center or trauma |
center unless the
medical benefits to the patient |
reasonably expected from the
provision of appropriate |
medical treatment at a more distant
facility outweigh the |
increased risks to the patient from
transport to the more |
distant facility, or the transport is in
accordance with |
the System's protocols for patient
choice or refusal. |
(6) Require that the EMS Medical Director of an ILS or
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ALS level EMS System be a physician licensed to practice
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medicine in all of its branches in Illinois, and certified |
by
the American Board of Emergency Medicine or the |
American Osteopathic Board
of Emergency Medicine, and that |
the EMS Medical
Director of a BLS level EMS System be a |
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physician licensed to
practice medicine in all of its |
branches in Illinois, with
regular and frequent |
involvement in pre-hospital emergency
medical services. In |
addition, all EMS Medical Directors shall: |
(A) Have experience on an EMS vehicle at the
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highest level available within the System, or make |
provision
to gain such experience within 12 months |
prior to the
date responsibility for the System is |
assumed or within 90
days after assuming the position; |
(B) Be thoroughly knowledgeable of all skills
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included in the scope of practices of all levels of EMS
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personnel within the System; |
(C) Have or make provision to gain experience
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instructing students at a level similar to that of the |
levels
of EMS personnel within the System; and |
(D) For ILS and ALS EMS Medical Directors,
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successfully complete a Department-approved EMS |
Medical
Director's Course. |
(7) Prescribe statewide EMS data elements to be
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collected and documented by providers in all EMS Systems |
for
all emergency and non-emergency medical services, with |
a
one-year phase-in for commencing collection of such data
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elements. |
(8) Define, through rules adopted pursuant to this |
Act,
the terms "Resource Hospital", "Associate Hospital",
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"Participating Hospital", "Basic Emergency Department",
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"Standby Emergency Department", "Comprehensive Emergency |
Department", "EMS
Medical Director", "EMS Administrative
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Director", and "EMS System Coordinator". |
(A) (Blank). |
(B) (Blank). |
(9) Investigate the
circumstances that caused a |
hospital
in an EMS system
to go on
bypass status to |
determine whether that hospital's decision to go on bypass
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status was reasonable. The Department may impose |
sanctions, as
set forth in Section 3.140 of the Act, upon a |
Department determination that the
hospital unreasonably
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went on bypass status in violation of the Act. |
(10) Evaluate the capacity and performance of any |
freestanding emergency center established under Section |
32.5 of this Act in meeting emergency medical service |
needs of the public, including compliance with applicable |
emergency medical standards and assurance of the |
availability of and immediate access to the highest |
quality of medical care possible.
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(11) Permit limited EMS System participation by |
facilities operated by the United States Department of |
Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration. Subject |
to patient preference, Illinois EMS providers may |
transport patients to Veterans Health Administration |
facilities that voluntarily participate in an EMS System. |
Any Veterans Health Administration facility seeking |
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limited participation in an EMS System shall agree to |
comply with all Department administrative rules |
implementing this Section. The Department may promulgate |
rules, including, but not limited to, the types of |
Veterans Health Administration facilities that may |
participate in an EMS System and the limitations of |
participation. |
(12) Ensure that EMS systems are transporting pregnant |
women to the appropriate facilities based on the |
classification of the levels of maternal care described |
under subsection (a) of Section 2310-223 of the Department |
of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil |
Administrative Code of Illinois. |
(13) Provide administrative support to the EMT |
Training, Recruitment, and Retention Task Force. |
(Source: P.A. 101-447, eff. 8-23-19.)
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(210 ILCS 50/3.22 new) |
Sec. 3.22. EMT Training, Recruitment, and Retention Task |
Force. |
(a) The EMT Training, Recruitment, and Retention Task |
Force is created to address the following: |
(1) the impact that the EMT and Paramedic shortage is |
having on this State's EMS System and health care system; |
(2) barriers to the training, recruitment, and |
retention of Emergency Medical Technicians throughout this |
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State; |
(3) steps that the State of Illinois can take, |
including coordination and identification of State and |
federal funding sources, to assist Illinois high schools, |
community colleges, and ground ambulance providers to |
train, recruit, and retain emergency medical technicians; |
(4) the examination of current testing mechanisms for |
EMRs, EMTs, and Paramedics and the utilization of the |
National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, |
including current pass rates by licensure level, national |
utilization, and test preparation strategies; |
(5) how apprenticeship programs, local, regional, and |
statewide, can be utilized to recruit and retain EMRs, |
EMTs, and Paramedics; |
(6) how ground ambulance reimbursement affects the |
recruitment and retention of EMTs and Paramedics; and |
(7) all other areas that the Task Force deems |
necessary to examine and assist in the recruitment and |
retention of EMTs and Paramedics. |
(b) The Task Force shall be comprised of the following |
members: |
(1) one member of the Illinois General Assembly, |
appointed by the President of the Senate, who shall serve |
as co-chair; |
(2) one member of the Illinois General Assembly, |
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; |
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(3) one member of the Illinois General Assembly, |
appointed by the Senate Minority Leader; |
(4) one member of the Illinois General Assembly, |
appointed by the House Minority Leader, who shall serve as |
co-chair; |
(5) 9 members representing private ground ambulance |
providers throughout this State representing for-profit |
and non-profit rural and urban ground ambulance providers, |
appointed by the President of the Senate; |
(6) 3 members representing hospitals, appointed by the |
Speaker of the House of Representatives, with one member |
representing safety net hospitals and one member |
representing rural hospitals; |
(7) 3 members representing a statewide association of |
nursing homes, appointed by the President of the Senate; |
(8) one member representing the State Board of |
Education, appointed by the House Minority Leader; |
(9) 2 EMS Medical Directors from a Regional EMS |
Medical Directors Committee, appointed by the Governor; |
and |
(10) one member representing the Illinois Community |
College Systems, appointed by the Minority Leader of the |
Senate. |
(c) Members of the Task Force shall serve without |
compensation. |
(d) The Task Force shall convene at the call of the |
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co-chairs and shall hold at least 6 meetings. |
(e) The Task Force shall submit its final report to the |
General Assembly and the Governor no later than January 1, |
2024, and upon the submission of its final report, the Task |
Force shall be dissolved.
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(210 ILCS 50/3.55)
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Sec. 3.55. Scope of practice.
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(a) Any person currently licensed as an EMR, EMT, EMT-I,
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A-EMT, PHRN, PHAPRN, PHPA, or Paramedic may perform emergency |
and non-emergency medical
services as defined in this Act, in |
accordance with his or her level of
education, training and |
licensure, the standards of
performance and conduct prescribed |
by the Department in
rules adopted pursuant to this Act, and |
the requirements of
the EMS System in which he or she |
practices, as contained in the
approved Program Plan for that |
System. The Director may, by written order, temporarily modify |
individual scopes of practice in response to public health |
emergencies for periods not exceeding 180 days.
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(a-5) EMS personnel who have successfully completed a |
Department approved
course in automated defibrillator |
operation and who are functioning within a
Department approved |
EMS System may utilize such automated defibrillator
according |
to the standards of performance and conduct prescribed by the
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Department
in rules adopted pursuant to this Act and the |
requirements of the EMS System in
which they practice, as |
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contained in the approved Program Plan for that
System.
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(a-7) An EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, PHRN, PHAPRN, PHPA, or |
Paramedic
who has successfully completed a Department approved |
course in the
administration of epinephrine shall be required |
to carry epinephrine
with him or her as part of the EMS |
personnel medical supplies whenever
he or she is performing |
official duties as determined by the EMS System. The |
epinephrine may be administered from a glass vial, |
auto-injector, ampule, or pre-filled syringe.
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(b) An EMR, EMT,
EMT-I, A-EMT, PHRN, PHAPRN, PHPA, or |
Paramedic may practice as an EMR, EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, or |
Paramedic or utilize his or her EMR, EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, PHRN, |
PHAPRN, PHPA, or Paramedic license
in pre-hospital or |
inter-hospital emergency care settings or
non-emergency |
medical transport situations, under the
written or verbal |
direction of the EMS Medical Director.
For purposes of this |
Section, a "pre-hospital emergency care
setting" may include a |
location, that is not a health care
facility, which utilizes |
EMS personnel to render pre-hospital
emergency care prior to |
the arrival of a transport vehicle.
The location shall include |
communication equipment and all
of the portable equipment and |
drugs appropriate for the EMR, EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, or |
Paramedic's
level of care, as required by this Act, rules |
adopted
by the Department pursuant to this Act, and the |
protocols of
the EMS Systems, and shall operate only with the |
approval
and under the direction of the EMS Medical Director.
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This Section shall not prohibit an EMR, EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, |
PHRN, PHAPRN, PHPA, or Paramedic
from practicing within an |
emergency department or
other health care setting for the |
purpose of receiving
continuing education or training approved |
by the EMS Medical
Director. This Section shall also not |
prohibit an EMT,
EMT-I, A-EMT, PHRN, PHAPRN, PHPA, or |
Paramedic from seeking credentials other than his or her EMT, |
EMT-I, A-EMT, PHRN, PHAPRN, PHPA, or Paramedic
license and |
utilizing such credentials to work in emergency
departments or |
other health care settings under the
jurisdiction of that |
employer.
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(c) An EMT,
EMT-I, A-EMT, PHRN, PHAPRN, PHPA, or Paramedic |
may honor Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders and powers
of |
attorney for health care only in accordance with rules
adopted |
by the Department pursuant to this Act and protocols
of the EMS |
System in which he or she practices.
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(d) A student enrolled in a Department approved EMS |
personnel
program, while fulfilling the
clinical training and |
in-field supervised experience
requirements mandated for |
licensure or approval by the
System and the Department, may |
perform prescribed procedures
under the direct supervision of |
a physician licensed to
practice medicine in all of its |
branches, a qualified
registered professional nurse, or |
qualified EMS personnel, only when
authorized by the EMS |
Medical Director.
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(e) An EMR, EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, PHRN, PHAPRN, PHPA, or |
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Paramedic may transport a police dog injured in the line of |
duty to a veterinary clinic or similar facility if there are no |
persons requiring medical attention or transport at that time. |
For the purposes of this subsection, "police dog" means a dog |
owned or used by a law enforcement department or agency in the |
course of the department or agency's work, including a search |
and rescue dog, service dog, accelerant detection canine, or |
other dog that is in use by a county, municipal, or State law |
enforcement agency. |
(f) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit an |
EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, Paramedic, or PHRN from completing an |
initial Occupational Safety and Health Administration |
Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire on behalf of fire |
service personnel, as permitted by his or her EMS System |
Medical Director. |
(g) An EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, Paramedic, PHRN, PHAPRN, or PHPA |
shall be eligible to work for another EMS System for a period |
not to exceed 2 weeks if the individual is under the direct |
supervision of another licensed individual operating at the |
same or higher level as the EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, Paramedic, |
PHRN, PHAPRN, or PHPA; obtained approval in writing from the |
EMS System's Medical Director; and tests into the EMS System |
based upon appropriate standards as outlined in the EMS System |
Program Plan. The EMS System within which the EMT, EMT-I, |
A-EMT, Paramedic, PHRN, PHAPRN, or PHPA is seeking to join |
must make all required testing available to the EMT, EMT-I, |
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A-EMT, Paramedic, PHRN, PHAPRN, or PHPA within 2 weeks after |
the written request. Failure to do so by the EMS System shall |
allow the EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, Paramedic, PHRN, PHAPRN, or PHPA |
to continue working for another EMS System until all required |
testing becomes available. |
(Source: P.A. 102-79, eff. 1-1-22 .)
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(210 ILCS 50/3.85)
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Sec. 3.85. Vehicle Service Providers.
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(a) "Vehicle Service Provider" means an entity
licensed by |
the Department to provide emergency or
non-emergency medical |
services in compliance with this Act,
the rules promulgated by |
the Department pursuant to this
Act, and an operational plan |
approved by its EMS System(s),
utilizing at least ambulances |
or specialized emergency
medical service vehicles (SEMSV).
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(1) "Ambulance" means any publicly or
privately owned |
on-road vehicle that is specifically designed,
constructed |
or modified and equipped, and is intended to be
used for, |
and is maintained or operated for the emergency
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transportation of persons who are sick, injured, wounded |
or
otherwise incapacitated or helpless, or the |
non-emergency
medical transportation of persons who |
require the presence
of medical personnel to monitor the |
individual's condition
or medical apparatus being used on |
such individuals.
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(2) "Specialized Emergency Medical Services
Vehicle" |
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or "SEMSV" means a vehicle or conveyance, other
than those |
owned or operated by the federal government, that
is |
primarily intended for use in transporting the sick or
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injured by means of air, water, or ground transportation,
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that is not an ambulance as defined in this Act. The term
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includes watercraft, aircraft and special purpose ground
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transport vehicles or conveyances not intended for use on
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public roads.
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(3) An ambulance or SEMSV may also be
designated as a |
Limited Operation Vehicle or Special-Use Vehicle:
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(A) "Limited Operation Vehicle" means a
vehicle |
which is licensed by the Department to provide
basic, |
intermediate or advanced life support emergency or
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non-emergency medical services that are exclusively |
limited
to specific events or locales.
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(B) "Special-Use Vehicle" means any
publicly or |
privately owned vehicle that is specifically designed,
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constructed or modified and equipped, and is intended |
to be
used for, and is maintained or operated solely |
for the
emergency or non-emergency transportation of a |
specific
medical class or category of persons who are |
sick, injured,
wounded or otherwise incapacitated or |
helpless (e.g.
high-risk obstetrical patients, |
neonatal patients).
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(C) "Reserve Ambulance" means a vehicle that meets |
all criteria set forth in this Section and all |
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Department rules, except for the required inventory of |
medical supplies and durable medical equipment, which |
may be rapidly transferred from a fully functional |
ambulance to a reserve ambulance without the use of |
tools or special mechanical expertise. |
(b) The Department shall have the authority and
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responsibility to:
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(1) Require all Vehicle Service Providers, both
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publicly and privately owned, to function within an EMS
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System.
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(2) Require a Vehicle Service Provider
utilizing |
ambulances to have a primary affiliation with an EMS |
System
within the EMS Region in which its Primary Service |
Area is
located, which is the geographic areas in which |
the provider
renders the majority of its emergency |
responses. This
requirement shall not apply to Vehicle |
Service Providers
which exclusively utilize Limited |
Operation Vehicles.
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(3) Establish licensing standards and
requirements for |
Vehicle Service Providers, through rules
adopted pursuant |
to this Act, including but not limited to:
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(A) Vehicle design, specification,
operation and |
maintenance standards, including standards for the use |
of reserve ambulances;
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(B) Equipment requirements;
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(C) Staffing requirements; and
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(D) License renewal at intervals determined by the |
Department, which shall be not less than every 4 |
years. |
The Department's standards and requirements with |
respect to vehicle staffing for private, nonpublic local |
government employers must allow for alternative staffing |
models that include an EMR who
drives an ambulance with a |
licensed EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT,
Paramedic, or PHRN, as |
appropriate, in the patient
compartment providing care to |
the patient pursuant to the approval of the EMS System |
Program Plan developed and approved by the EMS Medical |
Director for an EMS System. The EMS personnel licensed at |
the highest level shall provide the initial assessment of |
the patient to determine the level of care required for |
transport to the receiving health care facility, and this |
assessment shall be documented in the patient care report |
and documented with online medical control. The EMS |
personnel licensed at or above the level of care required |
by the specific patient as directed by the EMS Medical |
Director shall be the primary care provider en route to |
the destination facility or patient's residence. The |
Department shall monitor the implementation and |
performance of alternative staffing models and may issue a |
notice of termination of an alternative staffing model |
only upon evidence that an EMS System Program Plan is not |
being adhered to. Adoption of an alternative staffing |
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model shall not result in a Vehicle Service Provider being |
prohibited or limited in the utilization of its staff or |
equipment from providing any of the services authorized by |
this Act or as otherwise outlined in the approved EMS |
System Program Plan, including, without limitation, the |
deployment of resources to provide out-of-state disaster |
response. EMS System Program Plans must address a process |
for out-of-state disaster response deployments that must |
meet the following: |
(A) All deployments to provide out-of-state |
disaster response must first be approved by the EMS |
Medical Director and submitted to the Department. |
(B) The submission must include the number of |
units being deployed, vehicle identification numbers, |
length of deployment, and names of personnel and their |
licensure level. |
(C) Ensure that all necessary in-state requests |
for services will be covered during the duration of |
the deployment. |
An EMS System Program Plan for a Basic Life Support , |
advanced life support, and critical care transport
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utilizing an EMR and an EMT shall include the
following: |
(A) Alternative staffing models for a Basic Life |
Support transport utilizing an EMR and an EMT shall |
only be utilized for interfacility Basic Life Support |
transports as specified by the EMS System Program Plan |
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as determined by the EMS System Medical Director and |
medical appointments, excluding any transport to or |
from a dialysis center . |
(B) Protocols that shall include dispatch |
procedures to properly screen and assess patients for |
EMR-staffed transports and EMT-staffed Basic Life |
Support transport . |
(C) A requirement that a provider and EMS System |
shall implement a quality assurance plan that shall |
include for the initial waiver period the review of at |
least 5% of total interfacility transports utilizing |
an EMR with mechanisms outlined to audit dispatch |
screening , reason for transport, patient diagnosis, |
level of care, and the outcome of transports |
performed. Quality assurance reports must be submitted |
and reviewed by the provider and EMS System monthly |
and made available to the Department upon request. The |
percentage of transports reviewed under quality |
assurance plans for renewal periods shall be |
determined by the EMS Medical Director, however, it |
shall not be less than 3%. |
(D) The EMS System Medical Director shall develop |
a minimum set of requirements for individuals based on |
level of licensure that includes education, training, |
and credentialing for all team members identified to |
participate in an alternative staffing plan. The EMT , |
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Paramedic, PHRN, PHPA, PHAPRN, and critical care |
transport staff shall have the minimum at least one |
year of experience in performance of pre-hospital and |
inter-hospital emergency care , as determined by the |
EMS Medical Director in accordance with the EMS System |
Program Plan, but at a minimum of 6 months of |
prehospital experience or at least 50 documented |
patient care interventions during transport as the |
primary care provider and approved by the Department . |
(E) The licensed EMR must complete a defensive |
driving course prior to participation in the |
Department's alternative staffing model. |
(F) The length of the EMS System Program Plan for a |
Basic Life Support transport
utilizing an EMR and an |
EMT shall be for one year, and must be renewed annually |
if proof of the criteria being met is submitted, |
validated, and approved by the EMS Medical Director |
for the EMS System and the Department. |
(G) Beginning July 1, 2023, the utilization of |
EMRs for advanced life support transports and Tier III |
Critical Care Transports shall be allowed for periods |
not to exceed 3 years under a pilot program. The pilot |
program shall not be implemented before Department |
approval. Agencies requesting to utilize this staffing |
model for the time period of the pilot program must |
complete the following: |
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(i) Submit a waiver request to the Department |
requesting to participate in the pilot program |
with specific details of how quality assurance and |
improvement will be gathered, measured, reported |
to the Department, and reviewed and utilized |
internally by the participating agency. |
(ii) Submit a signed approval letter from the |
EMS System Medical Director approving |
participation in the pilot program. |
(iii) Submit updated EMS System plans, |
additional education, and training of the EMR and |
protocols related to the pilot program. |
(iv) Submit agency policies and procedures |
related to the pilot program. |
(v) Submit the number of individuals currently |
participating and committed to participating in |
education programs to achieve a higher level of |
licensure at the time of submission. |
(vi) Submit an explanation of how the provider |
will support individuals obtaining a higher level |
of licensure and encourage a higher level of |
licensure during the year of the alternative |
staffing plan and specific examples of recruitment |
and retention activities or initiatives. |
Upon submission of a renewal application and |
recruitment and retention plan, the provider shall |
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include additional data regarding current employment |
numbers, attrition rates over the year, and activities |
and initiatives over the previous year to address |
recruitment and retention. |
The information required under this subparagraph |
(G) shall be provided to and retained by the EMS System |
upon initial application and renewal and shall be |
provided to the Department upon request. |
The Department must allow for an alternative rural |
staffing model for those vehicle service providers that |
serve a rural or semi-rural population of 10,000 or fewer |
inhabitants and exclusively uses volunteers, paid-on-call, |
or a combination thereof.
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(4) License all Vehicle Service Providers
that have |
met the Department's requirements for licensure, unless
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such Provider is owned or licensed by the federal
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government. All Provider licenses issued by the Department
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shall specify the level and type of each vehicle covered |
by
the license (BLS, ILS, ALS, ambulance, critical care |
transport, SEMSV, limited
operation vehicle, special use |
vehicle, reserve ambulance).
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(5) Annually inspect all licensed vehicles operated by |
Vehicle
Service Providers.
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(6) Suspend, revoke, refuse to issue or refuse to
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renew the license of any Vehicle Service Provider, or that
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portion of a license pertaining to a specific vehicle
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operated by the Provider, after an opportunity for a
|
hearing, when findings show that the Provider or one or |
more
of its vehicles has failed to comply with the |
standards and
requirements of this Act or rules adopted by |
the Department
pursuant to this Act.
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(7) Issue an Emergency Suspension Order for
any |
Provider or vehicle licensed under this Act, when the
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Director or his designee has determined that an immediate
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and serious danger to the public health, safety and |
welfare
exists. Suspension or revocation proceedings which |
offer an
opportunity for hearing shall be promptly |
initiated after
the Emergency Suspension Order has been |
issued.
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(8) Exempt any licensed vehicle from
subsequent |
vehicle design standards or specifications required by the
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Department, as long as said vehicle is continuously in
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compliance with the vehicle design standards and
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specifications originally applicable to that vehicle, or
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until said vehicle's title of ownership is transferred.
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(9) Exempt any vehicle (except an SEMSV)
which was |
being used as an ambulance on or before December 15,
1980, |
from vehicle design standards and specifications
required |
by the Department, until said vehicle's title of
ownership |
is transferred. Such vehicles shall not be exempt
from all |
other licensing standards and requirements
prescribed by |
the Department.
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(10) Prohibit any Vehicle Service Provider
from |
advertising, identifying its vehicles, or disseminating
|
information in a false or misleading manner concerning the
|
Provider's type and level of vehicles, location, primary
|
service area, response times, level of personnel, |
licensure
status or System participation.
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(10.5) Prohibit any Vehicle Service Provider, whether |
municipal, private, or hospital-owned, from advertising |
itself as a critical care transport provider unless it |
participates in a Department-approved EMS System critical |
care transport plan. |
(11) Charge each Vehicle Service Provider a
fee per |
transport vehicle, due annually at time of inspection. The |
fee per transport vehicle shall be set by administrative |
rule by the Department and shall not exceed 100 vehicles |
per provider. |
(12) Beginning July 1, 2023, as part of a pilot |
program that shall not exceed a term of 3 years, an |
ambulance may be upgraded to a higher level of care for |
interfacility transports by an ambulance assistance |
vehicle with appropriate equipment and licensed personnel |
to intercept with the licensed ambulance at the sending |
facility before departure. The pilot program shall not be |
implemented before Department approval. To participate in |
the pilot program, an agency must: |
(A) Submit a waiver request to the Department with |
|
intercept vehicle vehicle identification numbers, |
calls signs, equipment detail, and a robust quality |
assurance plan that shall list, at minimum, detailed |
reasons each intercept had to be completed, barriers |
to initial dispatch of advanced life support services, |
and how this benefited the patient. |
(B) Report to the Department quarterly additional |
data deemed meaningful by the providing agency along |
with the data required under subparagraph (A) of this |
paragraph (12). |
(C) Obtain a signed letter of approval from the |
EMS Medical Director allowing for participation in the |
pilot program. |
(D) Update EMS System plans and protocols from the |
pilot program. |
(E) Update policies and procedures from the |
agencies participating in the pilot program.
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(Source: P.A. 102-623, eff. 8-27-21.)
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