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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to emergency medical services; amending s.

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401.272, F.S.; authorizing an emergency medical technician

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or paramedic to perform basic life support services and

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authorizing a paramedic to perform advanced life support

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services in the emergency department of a licensed

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hospital, regardless of whether a medical emergency

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exists; requiring a written agreement between the

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emergency medical technician's or paramedic's medical

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director and the hospital where such services are

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performed; requiring the agreement to establish the

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protocols, policies, and procedures under which the

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emergency medical technician or paramedic operates;

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requiring a medical director to verify and document that

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an emergency medical technician or paramedic performing

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services in an emergency department of a licensed hospital

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has received sufficient training and experience to perform

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such services; authorizing the Department of Health to

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adopt and enforce rules to implement provisions relating

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to services performed by an emergency medical technician

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or paramedic in the emergency department of a licensed

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hospital; providing an effective date.

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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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     Section 1.  Subsections (1), (2), and (3) of section

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401.272, Florida Statutes, are amended, and subsection (5) is

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added to that section, to read:

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401.272  Emergency medical services community health care.--

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     (1)  The purpose of this section is to encourage more

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effective use utilization of the skills of emergency medical

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technicians and paramedics by enabling them to perform, in

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partnership with local county health departments and licensed

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hospitals, specific additional health care tasks that are

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consistent with the public health and welfare.

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     (2)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the

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contrary:

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     (a)  Paramedics or emergency medical technicians may perform

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health promotion and wellness activities and blood pressure

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screenings in a nonemergency environment, within the scope of

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their training, and under the direction of a medical director. As

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used in this paragraph, the term "health promotion and wellness"

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means the provision of public health programs pertaining to the

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prevention of illness and injury.

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     (b)  Paramedics may administer immunizations in a

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nonemergency environment, within the scope of their training, and

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under the direction of a medical director. There must be a

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written agreement between the paramedic's medical director and

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the county health department located in each county in which the

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paramedic administers immunizations. This agreement must

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establish the protocols, policies, and procedures under which the

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paramedic must operate.

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     (c) An emergency medical technician or paramedic may

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perform, in the emergency department of a licensed hospital,

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basic life support services, regardless of whether a patient is

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experiencing a medical emergency. A written agreement must exist

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between the emergency medical technician's or paramedic's medical

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director and the licensed hospital where such services are

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performed. The agreement must establish the protocols, policies,

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and procedures under which the emergency medical technician or

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paramedic is required to operate.

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(d) A paramedic may perform, in the emergency department of

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a licensed hospital, advanced life support services, regardless

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of whether a patient is experiencing a medical emergency. A

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written agreement must exist between the paramedic's medical

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director and the hospital where such services are performed. The

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agreement must establish the protocols, policies, and procedures

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under which the paramedic is required to operate.

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     (3)  Each medical director under whose direction a paramedic

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administers immunizations or under whose direction an emergency

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medical technician or paramedic performs services in the

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emergency department of a licensed hospital must verify and

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document that the emergency medical technician or paramedic has

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received sufficient training and experience to perform such

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services administer immunizations. The verification must be

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documented on forms developed by the department, and the

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completed forms must be maintained at the service location of the

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licensee and made available to the department upon request.

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(5) The department may adopt and enforce all rules

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necessary to enforce the provisions relating to an emergency

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medical technician's or paramedic's services in the emergency

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department of a licensed hospital.

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     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.