§ 63-1-2511. Commissioner - Powers and duties relating to Oklahoma Emergency Medical Services Improvement Program.

The State Commissioner of Health shall have the following powers and duties with regard to an Oklahoma Emergency Medical Services Improvement Program:

1.  Administer and coordinate all federal and state programs, not specifically assigned by state law to other state agencies, which include provisions of the Federal Emergency Medical Services Systems Act and other federal laws and programs relating to the development of emergency medical services in this state.  The administration and coordination of federal and state laws and programs relating to the development, planning, prevention, improvement and management of emergency medical services shall be conducted by the Division of Emergency Medical Services, as prescribed by Section 1-2510 of this title;

2.  Assist private and public organizations, emergency medical and health care providers, ambulance authorities, district boards and other interested persons or groups in improving emergency medical services at the local, municipal, district or state levels.  This assistance shall be through professional advice and technical assistance;

3.  Coordinate the efforts of local units of government to establish service districts and set up boards of trustees or other authorities to operate and finance emergency medical services in the state as provided under Section 9C of Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution or under Sections 1201 through 1221 of Title 19 of the Oklahoma Statutes.  The Commissioner shall evaluate all proposed district areas and operational systems to determine the feasibility of their economic and health services delivery;

4.  Prepare, maintain and utilize a comprehensive plan and program for emergency medical services development throughout the state to be adopted by the State Board of Health, giving consideration to the recommendations of the Trauma and Emergency Response Advisory Council created in Section 44 of this act, and incorporated within the State Health Plan.  The plan shall establish goals, objectives and standards for a statewide integrated system and a timetable for accomplishing and implementing different elements of the system.  The plan shall also include, but not be limited to, all components of an emergency medical services system; regional and statewide planning; the establishment of standards and the appropriate criteria for the designation of facilities; data collection and quality assurance; and funding;

5.  Maintain a comprehensive registry of all ambulance services operating within the state, to be published annually and maintain a registry of critical care paramedics.  All ambulance service providers shall register annually with the Commissioner on forms supplied by the State Department of Health, containing such requests for information as may be deemed necessary by the Commissioner;

6.  Develop a standard report form which may be used by local, regional and statewide emergency medical services and emergency medical services systems to facilitate the collection of data related to the provision of emergency medical and trauma care.  The Commissioner shall also develop a standardized emergency medical services data set and an electronic submission standard.  Each ambulance service shall submit the information required in this section at such intervals as may be prescribed by rules promulgated by the State Board of Health;

7.  Evaluate and certify all emergency medical services training programs and emergency medical technician training courses and operational services in accordance with specifications and procedures approved by the Board.  Nonaccredited paramedic training programs shall begin their final paramedic training class by December 31, 2012.  Only paramedic training programs accredited or receiving a Letter of Review (LOR) by CoAEMSP may enroll new paramedic students after January 1, 2013;

8.  Provide an emergency medical personnel and ambulance service licensure program to include a requirement that ambulance services licensed as specialty care ambulance providers shall be used solely for interhospital transport of patients requiring specialized en route medical monitoring and advanced life support which exceeds the capabilities of the equipment and personnel provided by paramedic life support;

9.  Employ and prescribe the duties of employees as may be necessary to administer the provisions of the Oklahoma Emergency Response Systems Development Act;

10.  Apply for and accept public and private gifts, grants, donations and other forms of financial assistance designed for the support of emergency medical services;

11.  Develop a classification system for all hospitals that treat emergency patients.  The classification system shall:

a.identify stabilizing and definitive emergency services provided by each hospital, and

b.require each hospital to notify the regional emergency medical services system control when treatment services are at maximum capacity and that emergency patients should be diverted to another hospital; and

12.  Develop and monitor a statewide emergency medical services and trauma analysis system designed to:

a.identify emergency patients and severely injured trauma patients treated in Oklahoma,

b.identify the total amount of uncompensated emergency care provided each fiscal year by each hospital and ambulance service in Oklahoma, and

c.monitor emergency patient care provided by emergency medical service and hospitals.

Added by Laws 1990, c. 320, § 15, emerg. eff. May 30, 1990.  Amended by Laws 1994, c. 236, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1994; Laws 1999, c. 156, § 4, eff. Nov. 1, 1999; Laws 2001, c. 411, § 6, eff. Nov. 1, 2001; Laws 2005, c. 204, § 3, eff. July 1, 2005; Laws 2013, c. 23, § 7, eff. Nov. 1, 2013; Laws 2013, c. 229, § 67, eff. Nov. 1, 2013.