HB 841

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to emergency medical services; amending s.
3	401.272, F.S.; providing for paramedics and emergency
4	medical technicians to perform certain activities in the
5	emergency departments of licensed hospitals under certain
6	conditions and requiring verification and documentation of
7	their qualifications to do so; providing an effective
8	date.
9
10	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12	Section 1.  Section 401.272, Florida Statutes, is amended
13	to read:
14	401.272  Emergency medical services community health
15	care.--
16	(1)  The purpose of this section is to encourage more
17	effective utilization of the skills of emergency medical
18	technicians and paramedics by enabling them to perform, in
19	partnership with local county health departments and licensed
20	hospitals, specific additional health care tasks that are
21	consistent with the public health and welfare.
22	(2)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
23	contrary:
24	(a)  Paramedics or emergency medical technicians may
25	perform health promotion and wellness activities and blood
26	pressure screenings in a nonemergency environment, within the
27	scope of their training, and under the direction of a medical
28	director. As used in this paragraph, the term "health promotion
29	and wellness" means the provision of public health programs
30	pertaining to the prevention of illness and injury.
31	(b)  Paramedics may administer immunizations in a
32	nonemergency environment, within the scope of their training,
33	and under the direction of a medical director. There must be a
34	written agreement between the paramedic's medical director and
35	the county health department located in each county in which the
36	paramedic administers immunizations. This agreement must
37	establish the protocols, policies, and procedures under which
38	the paramedic must operate.
39	(c)  Paramedics or emergency medical technicians may
40	perform, in the emergency department of a licensed hospital,
41	activities permitted within the definition of basic life
42	support, regardless of whether the patient is experiencing a
43	medical emergency. There must be a written agreement between the
44	paramedic's or the emergency medical technician's medical
45	director and the hospital in which the paramedic or emergency
46	medical technician performs services. This agreement must
47	establish the protocols, policies, and procedures under which
48	the paramedic or emergency medical technician must operate.
49	(d)  Paramedics or emergency medical technicians may
50	perform, in the emergency department of a licensed hospital,
51	activities permitted within the definition of advanced life
52	support, regardless of whether the patient is experiencing a
53	medical emergency. There must be a written agreement between the
54	paramedic's or the emergency medical technician's medical
55	director and the hospital in which the paramedic or emergency
56	medical technician performs services. This agreement must
57	establish the protocols, policies, and procedures under which
58	the paramedic must operate.
59	(3)  Each medical director under whose direction a
60	paramedic administers immunizations, or under whose direction a
61	paramedic or emergency medical technician performs activities in
62	the emergency department of a licensed hospital, must verify and
63	document that the paramedic or emergency medical technician has
64	received sufficient training and experience to perform such
65	activities administer immunizations. The verification must be
66	documented on forms developed by the department, and the
67	completed forms must be maintained at the service location of
68	the licensee and made available to the department upon request.
69	(4)  The department may adopt and enforce all rules
70	necessary to enforce the provisions relating to:
71	(a)  A paramedic's administration of immunizations and the
72	performance of health promotion and wellness activities and
73	blood pressure screenings by a paramedic or emergency medical
74	technician in a nonemergency environment.
75	(b)  A paramedic's or emergency medical technician's
76	activities in the emergency department of a licensed hospital.
77	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.