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AB-2775 Emergency medical services.(2023-2024)

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Date Published: 04/01/2024 02:00 PM
AB2775:v98#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Assembly  April 01, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 2775

Introduced by Assembly Member Gipson

February 15, 2024

An act to amend Section Sections 1797.103 and 1801 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to community paramedicine. emergency medical services.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2775, as amended, Gipson. Community paramedicine. Emergency medical services.
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 (authority), which is responsible for the coordination and integration of all emergency medical services. Existing law requires the authority to develop planning and implementation guidelines for EMS systems that address specified components, including the assessment of hospital and critical care centers and data collection and evaluation.
This bill would authorize the authority to develop planning and implementation guidelines for the use of telehealth, within existing authority, in EMS systems. The bill would also authorize the authority to develop guidelines for the collection of data regarding the use of telehealth in EMS systems, as specified.
Existing law establishes, establishes within the act, until January 1, 2031, the Community Paramedicine or Triage to Alternate Destination Act of 2020. Existing law states that it is the intent of the Legislature, among other things, that local emergency medical services (EMS) EMS agencies be authorized to develop a community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination program to improve patient care and community health. Existing law states that it is the intent of the Legislature to monitor and evaluate implementation of community paramedicine and triage to alternate destination programs by local EMS agencies in California and determine whether these programs should be modified or extended before the program ends.
This bill would make a technical conforming change to these provisions.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 Section 1797.103 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

1797.103.
 (a) The authority shall develop planning and implementation guidelines for emergency medical services systems which address the following components:

(a)

(1) Manpower and training.

(b)

(2) Communications.

(c)

(3) Transportation.

(d)

(4) Assessment of hospitals and critical care centers.

(e)

(5) System organization and management.

(f)

(6) Data collection and evaluation.

(g)

(7) Public information and education.

(h)

(8) Disaster response.
(b) (1) The authority may develop planning and implementation guidelines for the use of telehealth, within existing authority, in emergency medical services systems.
(2) The authority may develop planning and implementation guidelines for collection of data regarding the use of telehealth in emergency medical services systems operating within existing authority.
(3) The authority shall consider the existing data collection systems, including those required under paragraph (5) of subdivision (c) of Section 1830, Section 1797.227, and the California Emergency Medical Services Information System.

SECTION 1.SEC. 2.

 Section 1801 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

1801.
 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to establish state standards that govern the implementation of community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination programs by local EMS agencies in California.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination programs be community-focused extensions of the traditional emergency response and transportation paramedic model that has developed over the last 50 years and be recognized as an emerging model of care created to meet an unmet need in California’s communities.
(c) It is the intent of the Legislature to improve the health of individuals in their communities by authorizing licensed paramedics, working under expert medical oversight, to deliver community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination services in California utilizing existing providers, promoting continuity of care, and maximizing existing efficiencies within the first response and emergency medical services system.
(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that a community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination program achieve all of the following:
(1) Improve coordination among providers of medical services, behavioral health services, and social services.
(2) Preserve and protect the underlying 911 emergency medical services delivery system.
(3) Preserve, protect, and deliver the highest level of patient care to every Californian.
(4) Preserve and protect the current health care workforce and empower local health care systems to provide care more effectively and efficiently.
(e) It is the intent of the Legislature that an alternate destination facility participating as part of an approved program always be staffed by a health care professional with a higher scope of practice, such as, at minimum, a registered nurse.
(f) It is the intent of the Legislature that the delivery of community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination services is a public good to be delivered in a manner that promotes the continuity of both care and providers. It is the intent of the Legislature that the delivery of these services be coordinate and consistent with, and complementary to, the existing first response and emergency medical response system in place within the jurisdiction of the local EMS agency.
(g) It is the intent of the Legislature that a community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination program be designed to improve community health and be implemented in a fashion that respects the current emergency medical system and its providers, and the health care delivery system. In furtherance of the public interest and good, agencies that provide first response services are well positioned to deliver care under a community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination program.
(h) It is the intent of the Legislature that the development of any community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination program reflect input from all practitioners of appropriate medical authorities, including, but not limited to, medical directors, physicians, nurses, mental health professionals, first responder paramedics, hospitals, and other entities within the emergency medical response system.
(i) It is the intent of the Legislature that local EMS agencies be authorized to develop a community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination program to improve patient care and community health. A community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination program should not be used to replace or eliminate health care workers, reduce personnel costs, harm the working conditions of emergency medical and health care workers, or otherwise compromise the emergency medical response or health care system. The highest priority of any community paramedicine or triage to alternate destination program shall be improving patient care.
(j) It is the intent of the Legislature to monitor and evaluate implementation of community paramedicine and triage to alternate destination programs by local EMS agencies in California and determine whether these programs should be modified or extended before the January 1, 2031, sunset date of this chapter.