News: Tuesday's EMS Council agenda

August 22, 1999

S T A T E N E W S B R I E F

News Index | The Kentucky EMS Connection Main Index

Tuesday's EMS Council agenda

FRANKFORT — The next meeting of the Kentucky Emergency Medical Services Council will be held on Tuesday, August 24, 1999 at 1:30 p.m. EDT. With the exception of the Training Committee, the EMS Council and standing committee meetings will be held at the Berry Mansion in Frankfort. The Berry Mansion is located at 700 Louisville Road (US Highway 60 West) adjacent to Juniper Hill Park in Frankfort. The EMS Training Committee will meet the day before on Monday, August 23. Listed below are the detailed times, locations, and the committee assignments made by Dr. Kearney for the other standing committees:

Training Committee meets Monday, August 23 at 10:00 a.m in the Health Services Board Room, Health Services Building, in Frankfort. (Charles O'Neal, Karen Freeman, Lee Brown, Ken Knipper, Julia Martin, Rudy Garrett, and Heinrich Werner.)

EMS/Trauma Systems Committee meets Tuesday 9:00 - 10:30 in the Dining Room, Berry Mansion. (Sherman Hockenbury, John Hoyle, Ken Knipper, Ron Crafton, David Harover, Derrick Hall, and Paul Kearney.)

Medical Standards and Delegated Practice Committee meets Tuesday 10:00 - 12:00 in the Music Room, Berry Mansion. (Dan O'Brien, Eric Bentley, Stephen Bernardon, Kelly Callaham, Gary Partin, Derrick Hall, Ron Crafton and Mary Beth Rohrer.)

EMS for Children Committee meets Tuesday 11:00 - 12:30 in the Kitchen, Berry Mansion (Julia Martin, Gary Partin, Lee Brown, Heinrich Werner, Mary Beth Rohrer, Steve Bernardon, David Harover, and Rudy Garrett.)

Each committee will meet and bring items before the full EMS Council.

Agenda, Medical Standards/Delegated Practice Committee

1. Call to Order

2. ALS Protocols for Review:

City of Paintsville Fire & EMS (revision)
Franklin-Simpson Ambulance Service (revisions)
Bell County Ambulance Service (ALS upgrade)
Georgetown-Scott County EMS (revisions)
Carroll County EMS (revisions)
Northern Kentucky Regional EMS (complete revision)
Care First Ambulance/Lewis County (ALS upgrade)
Spencer County EMS (complete revision)
Newborn Emergency Transport Program (new)

3. Medical Director Review

Michael P Gavin, MD, Livingston County EMS (assistant)
Roy Keys, MD, Portsmouth Ambulance Service
Samer H.R. Hussein, MD, Carroll County EMS
Dennis L Newberry, MD, Lifeflight Evansville
Gary Sanders MD, Care First, Inc. Ambulance Service
Robert Bond, MD, Bell County EMS

4. Presentation by Dr. Caggiano on the Combitube Pilot Program

5. Executive Session

6. Other possible recommendations by Chairperson

7. Other as determined by Chairperson

8. Set next meeting date

9. Adjourn

Agenda, EMS/Trauma Systems Committee

1. Introduction and call to order.

2. Senate Bill 66 Program Revisions - Brainstorming Session

Ambulance and equipment matching grants
Training and EMS Personnel matching grants

2. Emergency Medical Dispatch/911 issues

Consideration of Survey of 911 Centers/Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs)
Legislation to establish training and certification requirements for emergency medical dispatchers

4. 1999 Emergency Medical Services Awards - review of nominations

5. Other business

6. Adjourn

Agenda, Training Committee

Call to order

1. EMT-First Responder

Status reports
- Certification processing: all initial and recertification backlog of papers are now up to date. Processing is now being done on a daily or next day basis. The printed out certificates are now printed usually in 7 to 10 days.
- EMT-First Responder Instructor Rollout: the next rollout will be presented by KEMTIA as an 8-hour preconference session on Sept. 8 in Owensboro. The students will only be charged a fee of $40 to cover the cost of the books. The instructors teaching this have all be involved in at least one of the first four rollouts give around the state at Louisville, Paducah, Pikeville and Somerset.
Recommendations to the Council
- None planned
Other as determined by Chairperson

EMT-Basic

Status reports:
- The proposed EMT-B Instructor Candidate Evaluation Manual 1999
  - A comparative analysis between the current and the proposed EMT-B Instructor candidate evaluation process.
  - Current standards used to evaluate EMT-B instructor candidate lecture presentation
  - Current standards used to evaluate EMT-B Instructor candidate practical skills presentation
  - The proposed EMT-B Instructor candidate evaluation manual 1999
Recommendations to Council as determined by chairperson
Other as determined by chairperson

EMT Paramedic

Status reports:
- Paramedic Training Course Applications
  - Maysville Community College
  - Hardin County Ambulance Service
  - City of Newport Ambulance Service
  - Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Fire/EMS
  - Ambulance Inc. of Laurel County
  - Rural/Metro-Louisville
  - Yellow Ambulance of Owensboro/Daviess County
- Paramedic Class addendum - additional ride site for Somerset/Pulaski County class at McCreary County Ambulance Service
- Overview of ALS program for the fiscal year
- Report of Fall paramedic boards, Oct. 1-2, Meece Middle School, Somerset.
- Discussion of training problems.
Recommendations to Council
Other as determined by chairperson

Date of next meeting

Adjourn

July 27 Meeting Summary, Steering/Legislative Committee

1. Proposed EMS legislation:

Revisions to Senate Bill 66 statute. The Committee recommends support of the Cabinet's proposal to revise the current Senate Bill 66 program in order to make it more responsive to local needs while still providing necessary accountability on how funds are used. The committee also recommends support for raising current statutory and regulatory dollar limits.
Establish Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) program in Kentucky. The Committee recommends support of the Cabinet's proposal to establish statutory authority for the EMD program. The Cabinet's summary proposal called for the EMD certification to be "encouraged but not required" for local PSAPs and other dispatching agencies. The Committee recommends that the EMD program should be phased in but be mandatory for all personnel who handle emergency medical calls after 5-7 years. The possibility of surveying ambulance services was discussed to determine whether the ambulance service did its own dispatching or used outside dispatchers, what training was currently required of medical dispatchers, and what other issues may need to be address in an EMD program.
Change current statute regarding the Kentucky EMS Council to permit individuals not on the Council to serve as voting members of standing committees of the Council. The Committee recommends support of the Cabinet's proposal to broaden the representation on standing committees of the Kentucky EMS Council while not adding to the overall size of the Council. Under the Cabinet proposal, the size of the Council could be reduced in size while still involving other individuals who could serve on the standing committees.
Kentucky Ambulance Provider's Association legislative initiatives. The Committee reviewed the content of KAPA's EMS 2000 Initiative Draft that contained numerous items for consideration. The Committee expressed its support for two of the items:
- Rulemaking and regulatory authority for the statewide board or council that oversees EMS.
- A dedicated source of funding for EMS to increase the overall amount available sufficient to comply with all the requirements of KRS 211.952.

2. Status of EMT Regulations: Notice of Intent hearing held June 30, 1990; one person (Tim Price, KEMTIA) provided comments regarding the regulation involving EMT instructors. Statement of consideration to be filed with the LRC by August 13. Full regulations (new and amendments) to be drafted by EMS Branch staff based on recommendations received from the EMS Training Committee and the Kentucky EMS Council. Regulations must be submitted to the LRC by September. A near final draft must be ready by the end of August.

3. Status of Paramedic and Ambulance Regulations:

Paramedic regulations. Charles O'Neal and Dan O'Brien continue to work with the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure to complete revision to these regulations. Two issues remain -- language dealing with paramedic training agencies will be modeled after the EMS training agencies described in the EMT regulations. In addition, an appropriate due process procedure must be developed for paramedics, especially those who have grievances involving their local medical directors. They hope to have these issues resolved in order to being the promulgation process in early 2000.
Ambulance regulations. Sherman Hockenbury reported that the recent provider meeting on the draft changes went smoothly with few major issues unresolved. Because no new administrative regulations can be submitted until after the next Legislature adjourns, a final draft can be developed before the November meeting of the Council and the promulgation process begun in early 2000.

4. Present and Upcoming Vacancies. The Steering/Legislative Committee noted that there is a current vacancy on the Council due to Tony Peeler, RN, leaving Kentucky. In addition, the terms of Charles O'Neal, Karen Freeman, Eric Bentley, John Hoyle, and Ken Knipper expire later this year. Of the expiring terms, Mr. O'Neal, Dr. Bentley, and Mr. Knipper have expressed interest in being considered for reappointment. The staff has solicited additional nominations in writing from the EMS professional and trade associations. Nine individuals have been nominated through this process.

The Steering/Legislative Committee reviewed charts prepared by staff depicting geographic and professional representation of the current EMS Council and the nominations received. It was pointed out that with John Hoyle and Karen Freeman leaving the Council, there will be no representation from hospital administration or emergency nursing remaining on the Council. The Steering/Legislative Committee recommended that these charts b shared with the full Council and a ballot sent to all Council members with their August meeting materials by which the members of the Council could indicate their recommendations to Commissioner Leach for possible Council appointments.

5. Agenda items for August Committee/Council meetings:

EMS Training Committee - routine follow issues to be determined by chair and staff.
MS/DP Committee: Discussion of SD 66 program changes and consideration of EMD/dispatch issues.
EMS for Children Committee - "Brainstorm" and goal setting meeting for this new committee.

Meeting adjourned.

Agenda, Emergency Medical Services

1. Introductions

2. Kentucky EMS for Children Project Update; Planning for State Continuation of EMSC Activities

3. "Brainstorming" session to establish EMT for Children priorities and work plan

4. Set next meeting date(s)

5. adjourned

Agenda, EMS Council

1. Call to order and introductions

2. Adopt minutes of the May, 1998 meeting

3. Reports from Standing Committees

4. Other old business