Agenda - 06-26-2007-4i - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: June 26; 2007 Action Agenda ; Item No. ~ ~ SUBJECT: EMS Medical Director Contract Renewal DEPARTMENT: Emergency Services -EMS PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Contract INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent McKenzie, 245-3030 PURPOSE: To consider renewing a contract between Orange County and the UNC Department of Emergency Medicine concerning medical direction of Orange County's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program. BACKGROUND: Orange County provides both Advanced and Basic Life Support (ALS & BLS) EMS service. Under State regulations, a County providing service must function under the medical supervision of a Medical Director. The County receives medical direction through the UNC Department of Emergency Medicine and UNC Hospitals by Dr. Jane Brice and her assistants. The Medical Director's responsibilities include providing training, monitoring and protocols for the emergency medical dispatch program at 9-1-1. The Medical Director performs quality assurance reviews and approves telecommunicators for certification. The Medical Director establishes the level of practice for the first responders and the training requirements to operate automatic defibrillators. Each first responder must be annually trained and tested in defibrillation. The Medical Director determines the standard of care and appropriate treatment protocols for the paramedics. The Medical Director provides training, skill proficiency and evaluation of technician performance for the Initial Response Paramedics. The contract with the University also requires that the Medical Director have an appropriate number of assistant medical directors to assure availability at all times. The Medical Director serves as a consultant for the Paramedics in the field for .patient care issues. The Medical Director meets weekly with EMS staff to provide consultation and review of medical issues.