AB 430, as introduced, Roger Hernández. Trauma care systems.
Existing law, the Emergency Medical Services System and the Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Personnel Act, establishes the Emergency Medical Services Authority, which is responsible for the coordination and integration of all state agencies concerning emergency medical services. Existing law requires the authority to develop planning and implementation guidelines for emergency medical services systems that addresses specified components, including data collection and evaluation. The act authorizes each county to establish an emergency medical services program under which the county is required to designate a local emergency medical services (EMS) agency. Existing law authorizes a local EMS agency to implement a trauma care system only if the system meets the minimum standards adopted by the authority, as prescribed. Existing law requires a local EMS agency that elects to implement a trauma care system to develop and submit a plan for that trauma care system to the authority in accordance with regulations adopted by the authority.
This bill would require a local EMS agency implementing a trauma care system, as part of the minimum standards, to, among other things, commission an independent nonprofit organization or governmental entity qualified to assess trauma systems to conduct a comprehensive regional assessment of equitability and access to its trauma system, and would require the assessment to be performed in conjunction with other local EMS agencies in that agency’s region and the regional trauma coordinating committee (RTCC) established by the authority for that region. The bill would require the local EMS agencies to submit the results of each assessment to the authority. The bill would require that the assessments occur at least once every 5 years, but would authorize the RTCCs and the authority to determine, after the initial assessment, whether it would be proper for subsequent assessments to occur on a more frequent basis, as specified. The bill would authorize the 5 RTCCs to assess and provide recommendations to the local EMS agencies and the authority, and would require the local EMS agencies implementing a trauma care system to incorporate these recommendations into their respective trauma care plans.
This bill would require the authority to develop a statewide trauma plan that addresses all aspects of a trauma care system and would require the authority to report to the Legislature, by March 1, 2016, the status of the development or implementation of the statewide trauma plan.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 1797.120 is added to the Health and
2Safety Code, to read:
(a) The authority shall develop a statewide trauma
4plan that addresses all aspects of a trauma care system, including,
5but not limited to, a statewide plan for trauma in the case of
6bioterrorism, natural disasters, mass casualties, and access to
7trauma care for rural and urban communities.
8(b) (1) By March 31, 2016, the authority shall report to the
9Legislature, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
10Code, the status of the development or implementation of the
11statewide trauma plan.
12(2) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under
13paragraph (1) is inoperative on March 31, 2020, pursuant to Section
1410231.5 of the Government
Code.
Section 1798.162 of the Health and Safety Code is
16amended to read:
(a) A local emergency medical services agency
2may implement a trauma care system only if the system meets the
3minimum standards set forth in the regulations for implementation
4established by the authority and the plan required by Section
51797.257 has been submitted to, and approved by, the authority.
6Prior to submitting the plan for the trauma care system to the
7authority, a local emergency medical services agency shall hold a
8public hearing and shall give adequate notice of the public hearing
9to all hospitals and other interested parties in the area proposed to
10be included in the system. This subdivision does not preclude a
11local EMS agency from adopting trauma care system standards
12which are more stringent than those established by the regulations.
13(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) or any other provision of
14this article, the Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services
15Agency may implement a trauma care system prior to the adoption
16of regulations by the authority pursuant to Section 1798.161. If
17the Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services Agency
18implements a trauma care system pursuant to this subdivision prior
19to the adoption of those regulations by the authority, the agency
20shall prepare and submit to the authority a trauma care system plan
21begin delete whichend deletebegin insert thatend insert conforms to any regulations subsequently adopted by
22the authority.
23(c) A local emergency medical
services agency implementing
24a trauma care system shall, as part of the minimum standards
25adopted pursuant to Section 1798.161, do both of the following:
26(1) Commission an independent nonprofit organization or
27governmental entity qualified to assess trauma systems to conduct
28a comprehensive regional assessment of equitability and access
29to its trauma system. This assessment shall be performed on a
30regional basis, in conjunction with other local emergency medical
31services agencies in that agency’s region and the regional trauma
32coordinating committee (RTCC) established by the authority for
33that region. The local emergency medical services agencies shall
34submit the results of each assessment to the authority. These
35assessments shall occur at least once every five years. After the
36first assessment, the RTCCs, along with the authority, may
37
determine whether it would be proper for subsequent assessments
38to occur on a more frequent basis depending on the outcomes of
39the initial assessment, including outcomes with respect to access
P4 1to trauma care for rural and urban communities and trauma care
2in case of bioterrorism, natural disasters, and mass casualties.
3(2) (A) Establish an oversight committee composed of
4representatives from county departments who have expertise in
5trauma care systems, as well as in bioterrorism preparedness
6programs, for the purpose of assisting, and investigating the
7feasibility of, health facilities in underserved areas serving as a
8trauma facility within the trauma care system.
9(B) The oversight committee shall make recommendations, and
10shall report on its activities to the local emergency medical services
11agency.
12(d) Each of the five RTCCs may assess and provide
13recommendations to the local emergency medical services agencies
14and to the authority. The local emergency medical services
15agencies implementing a trauma care system shall incorporate
16these recommendations into their respective trauma care plans
17and submit these revised plans to the authority for approval.
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