ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Fifty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session
	House: GOV DP 8-0-0-1 | HHS DP 9-0-1-0 | 3^rd Read 55-0-3-0-2 Senate: MAPS DPA/SE 7-0-0-0 | 3^rd Read 24-3-3-0 Final Pass: 59-0-1-0

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HB 2033: department of health services; rulemaking

NOW: ambulance attendants; services

Sponsor: Representative Cook, LD 7

Transmitted to the Governor

Overview

Makes modifications to requirements for ambulance attendants and ambulance services.

History

An ambulance attendant is any of the following:

1) an emergency medical technician (EMT), an advanced EMT, EMT I-99 or a paramedic whose primary responsibility is the care of patients in an ambulance and who meets outlined standards and criteria;

2) an emergency medical responder who is employed by an ambulance service and whose primary responsibility is driving an ambulance;

3) a licensed physician;

4) a professional nurse who is licensed and who meets the Arizona Board of Nursing criteria to care for patients in the prehospital care system; or

5) a professional nurse who is licensed and whose primary responsibility is the care of patients in an ambulance during an interfacility transport.

Emergency medical responder programs are programs that include at least the following standards: 1) emergency vehicle driver training; 2) cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification; 3) automated external defibrillator training; 4) training in the use of noninvasive diagnostic devices, including blood glucose monitors and pulse oximeters; and 5) training on obtaining a patient's vital signs, including blood pressure, pulse and respiratory rate(A.R.S. § 36-2201).

The DHS Director is required to adopt reasonable medical equipment, supply, staffing and safety standards, criteria and procedures to issue a certificate of registration to operate an ambulance. These standards, criteria and procedures adopted by the Director must require that ambulance services providing interfacility transportation have at least one ambulance attendant who is an EMT, licensed physician or professional nurse as outlined and one ambulance attendant who is an EMT or emergency medical responder who is employed by an ambulance service and whose primary responsibility is driving an ambulance, staffing the ambulance while transporting a patient (A.R.S. § 36-2202).

Provisions

1. Specifies that emergency medical responder programs are programs that have been submitted to and reviewed by DHS that meet the prescribed standards. (Sec. 1)

2. Permits an emergency medical responder who is employed by an ambulance service and whose primary responsibility is driving an ambulance to exclusively drive an ambulance when providing interfacility transportation. (Sec. 1)

3. Clarifies that the standards, criteria and procedures adopted by the DHS Director must require that ambulance services providing interfacility transportation have one, rather than at least one, ambulance attendant who is an EMT, a licensed physician or a professional nurse. (Sec. 1)

4. Allows the second ambulance attendant required by the prescribed standards to be any classification of ambulance attendant. (Sec. 1)

5. Requires an ambulance service to charge the basic life support base rate for an interfacility transport when the ambulance is staffed with at least one outlined ambulance attendant. (Sec. 2)

6. Makes technical and conforming changes (Sec. 1)

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10.                   HB 2033

11. Initials AG/KT    Page 0 Transmitted

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