COEMST Live

Section 4765.38(D) In addition to, and in the course of, providing emergency medical treatment, an emergency medical technician-intermediate may withdraw blood as provided under sections 1547.11, 4506.17, and 4511.19 of the Revised Code. An emergency medical technician-intermediate shall withdraw blood in accordance with this chapter and any rules adopted under it by the state board of emergency medical services.

Section 4765.39(D) In addition to, and in the course of, providing treatment, emergency medical technician-paramedic may withdraw blood as provided under sections 1547.11, 4506.17, and 4511.19 of the Revised Code. An emergency medical technician-paramedic shall withdraw blood in accordance with this chapter and any rules adopted under it by the state board of emergency medical services. The bill permits, but does not require, withdrawal of blood for evidence collection by an EMT-Intermediate or EMT-Paramedic. The language also states the withdrawal of blood must done in the course of providing emergency medical treatment. An EMT should not be dispatched for the sole purpose of withdrawing blood for evidence collection.

A physician who serves as the medical director of an EMS organization is authorized to limit the scope of practice of EMS personnel functioning under the auspices of the physician’s license.

The EMS Board recognizes the importance of providing information about the Bill to the EMS and law enforcement communities. To begin this educational process, the EMS Board held an open forum at the Ohio Department of Public Safety with a panel of representatives including legal counsel, medical personnel, and law enforcement on August 18, 2010. Draft rules were also distributed and discussed. In my opinion, the event was very well attended, informative, and interactive. The comments and questions received during the open forum provided valuable feedback to the Board as it moves forward in finalizing its rules. The common thread in all of the discussion was the need for similar cooperative and interactive roundtables with EMS agencies, EMS medical directors, law enforcement agencies, and health care facilities at the local level during the process of creation of EMS protocols to address Senate Bill 58. I encourage you to begin the dialogue with these groups now rather than after the Bill becomes law. The Division of EMS will be conducting eleven regional meetings across the state later this year. All impacted parties will be invited to attend and participate in these sessions.

The EMS Board recognizes the need to adopt rules as quickly as possible to provide guidance to our medical directors and to our law enforcement officers. The draft rules presented during the open forum were approved by the EMS Board for filing on or afterSeptember 17th. As required by Ohio law, the EMS Board will conduct a public rules hearing after the rules are initially filed but prior to the rules becoming effective. This hearing will take place in conjunction with the October 20th EMS Board meeting.

Although the rule development and the filing process makes it impossible to have rules in effect before early December 2010, EMS medical directors have been placed in the position of providing protocols to address the EMS provisions within Senate Bill 58 September 17th when the Bill becomes law. The draft rules may be used by EMS medical directors to assist them in the creation of initial protocols that can be available in their EMS agencies by September 17, 2010. It is imperative for EMS medical directors to realize that the protocols that they provide may require amendment in the future to comply with the version of the rules that is ultimately adopted.