reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
SC Code § 44-61-320 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 44 - Health|Chapter 61 - Emergency Medical Services|Section 44-61-320. Establishment of program.

 There is established within the Department of Health and Environmental Control, Division of Emergency Medical Services, the Emergency Medical Services and Trauma for Children Program.  HISTORY: 1998 Act No. 323, Section 1; 2010 Act No. 157, Section 3, eff May 11, 2010.
SC Code § 44-61-330 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 44 - Health|Chapter 61 - Emergency Medical Services|Section 44-61-330. Scope of program; gathering of data.

 (A) The EMSC Program must include, but is not limited to, the establishment of:  (1) initial and continuing education programs for emergency medical services personnel that include training in the emergency care of infants and children;  (2) guidelines for referring children to the appropriate emergency treatment facility;  (3) pediatric equipment guidelines for prehospital care and emergency department;  (4) guidelines for EMT, AEMT, and paramedic emergency medical technician certification for administering epinephrine to children suffering from a severe allergic reaction;  (5) guidelines for the voluntary designation of pediatric emergency departments;  (6) guidelines for pediatric trauma centers;  (7) an interhospital transfer system for critically ill or injured children;  (8) in conjunction with the South Carolina Data Oversight Council, the collection and analysis of statewide pediatric emergency and critical care medical services data from emergency and critical care medical services for the purpose of quality improvement by these facilities and services, subject to the confidentiality requirements of Section 44-61-350;  (9) injury prevention programs for parents;  (10) public education programs on accessing the emergency medical services system and what to do until the emergency medical services personnel arrive;  (11) guidelines for the appropriate response to children and their families before, during, and after a disaster;  (12) incorporation of pediatric disaster preparedness training into initial and continuing education programs for emergency medical services personnel;  (13) assistance with the development of disaster plan strategies that address pediatric surge capacity before, during, and after a disaster for both injured and noninjured children.  (B) In gathering statewide pediatric emergency and critical care medical services data, the department shall rely upon, to the extent possible, data from existing sources; however, the department may contact families and physicians for the purpose of gathering additional data and providing information on available public and private resources. Information requested from a physician's office must be obtained pursuant to Section 44-115-10. Patient contact following data received from the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office must be conducted in accordance with regulations approved by the South Carolina Data Oversight Council and promulgated by the Office of Research and Statistics.  HISTORY: 1998 Act No. 323, Section 1; 2006 Act No. 320, Section 3, eff June 2, 2006; 2010 Act No. 157, Section 3, eff May 11, 2010.  Code Commissioner's Note  Pursuant to the directive to the Code Commissioner in 2018 Act No. 246, Section 10, "Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office" was substituted for all references to "Office of Research and Statistics of the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office".
SC Code § 44-61-350 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 44 - Health|Chapter 61 - Emergency Medical Services|Section 44-61-350. Advisory Committee.

 (A) There is established the Emergency Medical Services for Children Advisory Committee to advise the department on matters concerning preventative, prehospital, hospital, rehabilitative, and other post-hospital medical care for children.  (B) Committee members must be appointed by the board.  (C) The advisory committee is composed of a nurse with emergency pediatric experience, a physician with pediatric training, an emergency physician, an EMT/paramedic who is currently practicing, a ground level prehospital provider representative, an emergency medical services state agency representative, the EMSC Program principal investigator, the EMSC Program manager, and a family representative. All members must reside and, if applicable, be licensed or certified to practice in this State.  (D) Members of the advisory committee shall serve without compensation, mileage, per diem, or subsistence.  HISTORY: 2010 Act No. 157, Section 3, eff May 11, 2010.
SC Code § 44-61-510 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 44 - Health|Chapter 61 - Emergency Medical Services|Section 44-61-510. Definitions.

 As used in this article:  (1) "Department" means the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.  (2) "Designation" means a formal determination by the department that a hospital or health care facility is capable of providing a specified level of trauma care services.  (3) "Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council" means the emergency medical services council created in Section 44-61-30(c).  (4) "Participating providers" means those providers that have been approved by the department for participation in the trauma system and include, but are not limited to, designated trauma centers, designated rehabilitation facilities, and designated fee for service physicians who provide trauma care within a designated facility.  (5) "State Trauma Advisory Council" means the state advisory council created in this article.  (6) "Trauma" means a major injury or wound to a living person caused by the application of an external force or by violence and the requiring immediate medical or surgical intervention to prevent death or permanent disability. For the purposes of this article, the definition of "trauma" must be determined by current national medical standards including, but not limited to, trauma severity scales.  (7) "Trauma care facility" or "trauma center" means a hospital that has been designated by the department according to the rules and regulations set forth by the department to provide trauma care services at a particular level.  (8) "Trauma registry" means a statewide database of information collected by the department including, but not limited to, the incidence, severity, and causes of trauma and the care and outcomes for certain types of injuries.  (9) "Trauma system" means an organized statewide and regional system of care for the trauma patient, including the department, emergency medical service providers, hospitals, in-patient rehabilitation providers, and other providers who have agreed to participate in and coordinate with and who have been accepted by the department in an organized statewide system.  (10) "Trauma System Fund" means the separate fund established pursuant to this article for the department to create and administer the State Trauma System.  (11) "Verification" means the department's inspection of a participating facility in order to determine whether the facility is capable of providing a designated level of trauma care.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 232, Section 1, eff May 11, 2004.
SC Code § 44-61-540 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 44 - Health|Chapter 61 - Emergency Medical Services|Section 44-61-540. South Carolina State Trauma Care Fund established; administration; funding contingency.

 (A) There is created the South Carolina State Trauma Care Fund. In addition to those monies appropriated to the fund in the general appropriations act, the fund may receive gifts, bequests, grants, fees, or other contributions or donations from public or private entities.  (B) The fund must be a separate and distinct fund for the payment of the Department of Health and Environmental Control's expenses in establishing, administering, and overseeing the Trauma Care System. After the payment of the department's operating expenses from the fund, the department may authorize and allocate the distribution of any remaining funds for any or all of the following purposes:  (1) distribution of financial aid to participating providers using a formula based on criteria and factors identified in regulations promulgated by the department pursuant to this article. All providers receiving funds must be located within this State;  (2) distribution of any remaining funds for grants for proposals related to trauma care in this State which may include, but are not limited to, research, injury prevention, education, and planning and development of related services under this article;  (3) other expenses or providers considered appropriate by the department related to the purposes of this article.  (C) If there is adequate funding in the State Trauma Care Fund, the department shall promulgate regulations to establish the distribution of funds in accordance with the purposes stated in subsection (B). The department is solely responsible for determining the priority of distributions and may use contracts with other agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, in the distribution of these funds.  (D) Money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year carries forward to the next fiscal year for the purposes stated in this article. If the trauma system ceases to exist and money remains in the Trauma Fund, the remaining money must be distributed in accordance with this article.  (E) All of the department's duties pursuant to this article including the requirement to promulgate regulations are contingent upon adequate funding to cover the department's operating and administrative costs. If adequate funding does not exist in the State Trauma Care Fund, the department is not obligated to carry out any duties pursuant to this article.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 232, Section 1, eff May 11, 2004.
SC Code § 44-61-550 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 44 - Health|Chapter 61 - Emergency Medical Services|Section 44-61-550. Trauma Registry; confidentiality.

 (A) The department may establish a trauma data collection and evaluation system, known as the "Trauma Registry". The Trauma Registry must be designed to include, but must not be limited to, trauma studies, patient care and outcomes, compliance with standards of verification, and types and severity of injuries in the State.  (B) The department may collect, as considered necessary and appropriate, data and information regarding patients admitted to a facility through the emergency department, through a trauma center, or directly to a special care unit. Data and information must be collected in a manner that protects and maintains the confidential nature of patient and staff identifying information.  (C) Records and reports made pursuant to this section must be held confidential within the department and must not be available to the public, admissible as evidence, or subject to discovery by subpoena. Information that identifies individual patients must not be disclosed publicly without the patient's consent.  (D) All data collection and data inquiry activity shall follow federally established Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act guidelines.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 232, Section 1, eff May 11, 2004.
SC Code § 44-61-610 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 44 - Health|Chapter 61 - Emergency Medical Services|Section 44-61-610. Short title.

 This article may be cited as the "Stroke System of Care Act of 2011" and is based on recommendations of the Stroke System of Care Study Committee provided for in Act 121 of 2009.  HISTORY: 2011 Act No. 62, Section 1, eff June 21, 2011.
SC Code § 44-61-620 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 44 - Health|Chapter 61 - Emergency Medical Services|Section 44-61-620. Legislative findings.

 The General Assembly finds that:  (1) An effective system to support optimal stroke care is needed in our communities in order to treat stroke patients in a timely manner, improve the overall treatment of stroke patients, increase survival, and decrease the disabilities associated with stroke.  (2) There is a public health need for acute care hospitals in this State to become primary stroke centers to ensure the rapid triage, diagnostic evaluation, and treatment of patients suffering a stroke. There is also a need for a pre-hospital emergency transport system that identifies and transports potential stroke patients as quickly as possible to the most appropriate facility for stroke treatment.  (3) Primary stroke centers for the treatment of acute stroke should be established in as many acute care hospitals as possible. In addition, hospitals that do not have primary stroke center certification but use telemedicine or other means to facilitate acute or early stroke treatment should be integrated, along with primary stroke centers, within a system of care to evaluate, stabilize, and provide emergency and inpatient care to patients with acute stroke.  (4) It is in the best interest of the residents of South Carolina to establish a program to facilitate identification and development of stroke treatment capabilities throughout the State. This program will provide a system of stroke care that will include specific patient care and support services criteria that will ensure stroke patients receive safe and effective care in stroke care centers statewide.  (5) It is also in the best interest of the people of South Carolina to modify the state's emergency medical response system to ensure that potential stroke patients are quickly identified and transported to and treated in facilities that have the capability for providing timely and effective treatment for stroke patients.  HISTORY: 2011 Act No. 62, Section 1, eff June 21, 2011.
SC Code § 44-61-630 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 44 - Health|Chapter 61 - Emergency Medical Services|Section 44-61-630. Definitions.

 As used in this article:  (1) "Department" means the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.  (2) "Director" means the Director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.  (3) "Joint Commission" means the Joint Commission, formerly known as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, a not-for-profit organization that accredits hospitals and other health care organizations.  HISTORY: 2011 Act No. 62, Section 1, eff June 21, 2011.
SC Code § 44-61-640 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 44 - Health|Chapter 61 - Emergency Medical Services|Section 44-61-640. Identification of hospitals as primary stroke centers and stroke enabled centers; certification by nationally recognized organizations; designation of acute stroke capable centers; notification of loss of recognition.

 (A) The director shall identify hospitals that meet the criteria set forth in this article as primary stroke centers and stroke enabled centers through telemedicine.  (B) The department shall establish a process to recognize as "primary stroke centers" as many accredited acute care hospitals as apply and are certified as primary stroke centers by the Joint Commission or another nationally recognized organization that provides disease-specific certification or accreditation for stroke care, provided that each applicant continues to maintain this certification or accreditation and notifies the department in a timely manner of initial and subsequent certification or accreditation.  (C) As nationally recognized, disease-specific certification or accreditation programs become available at more comprehensive and less comprehensive levels, including, but not limited to, a designation for "acute stroke capable centers", the department may adopt and recognize those hospitals that have achieved the certification or accreditation.  (D) A hospital that no longer meets nationally recognized, evidenced-based standards for primary stroke centers, or other programs as they become recognized by the department, shall notify the department and the Stroke System of Care Advisory Council within thirty days.  HISTORY: 2011 Act No. 62, Section 1, eff June 21, 2011.
SC Code § 44-61-660 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 44 - Health|Chapter 61 - Emergency Medical Services|Section 44-61-660. List of stroke centers to be posted on website; distribution of standardized stroke-triage assessment tool; implementation of statewide system of stroke care.

 (A)(1) The department, before June first of each year, shall distribute the list of primary stroke centers, stroke enabled centers through telemedicine, and other centers that meet the criteria for disease-specific certification or accreditation programs as they become available to each licensed emergency medical services provider in this State. This list must be posted on the department website and be continuously updated.  (2) For the purposes of this article, the department may include on its distribution list pursuant to subsection (A)(1) primary stroke centers in North Carolina and Georgia that are certified by the Joint Commission, or are otherwise designated by those states' departments of public health as meeting the criteria for primary stroke centers.  (B) The department, in consultation with the Stroke System of Care Advisory Council, shall adopt and distribute a nationally recognized, standardized stroke-triage assessment tool. The department must post the stroke-triage assessment tool on its website and provide a copy, which may be an electronic copy, of the stroke-triage assessment tool to each licensed emergency medical services provider before January 31, 2012. Each licensed emergency medical services provider must establish a stroke assessment and triage system that incorporates the department approved stroke-triage assessment tool.  (C) The department, through the Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention and the Division of Emergency Medical Services, shall develop and implement the statewide system of stroke care in accordance with this article and shall give consideration to recommendations submitted by the Stroke Advisory Council.  (D) Each licensed emergency medical services provider must comply with all sections of this article before June 1, 2012.  HISTORY: 2011 Act No. 62, Section 1, eff June 21, 2011.
SC Code § 44-61-670 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 44 - Health|Chapter 61 - Emergency Medical Services|Section 44-61-670. Duties of department; confidentiality of health care information.

 (A) The department, in consultation with the Stroke System of Care Advisory Council, shall:  (1) provide assistance for sharing information and data among health care providers on ways to improve the quality of care;  (2) facilitate the communication and analysis of health information and data among health care professionals providing care for individuals with stroke;  (3) collect data regarding the transition of care to community-based follow-up care in hospital outpatient, physician office, and ambulatory clinic settings for ongoing care after hospital discharge following acute treatment for a stroke;  (4) set expectations for hospitals and emergency medical services agencies to report data on the treatment of individuals with suspected stroke within the statewide system of stroke care; and  (5) establish a Stroke Registry Task Force, as a subcommittee of the Stroke System of Care Advisory Council, which shall maintain a statewide stroke registry database that compiles information and statistics on stroke care that align with the stroke consensus metrics developed and approved by the American Heart Association, American Stroke Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Joint Commission. The department shall utilize the stroke registry data platform of "Get With The Guidelines-Stroke" or another nationally recognized data set platform with confidentiality standards no less secure. To every extent possible, the department shall coordinate with national voluntary health organizations involved in stroke quality improvement to avoid duplication and redundancy.  (6) The Stroke Registry Task Force shall:  (a) analyze data generated by the statewide stroke registry database on stroke care;  (b) identify potential interventions to improve stroke care in geographic areas or regions of the State; and  (c) provide recommendations to the department and the General Assembly for the improvement of stroke care in the State.  (B) Except to the extent necessary to address continuity of care issues, health care information must not be provided in a format that contains individually identifiable information about a patient. The sharing of health care information containing individually identifiable information about patients must be limited to that information necessary to address continuity of care issues, and otherwise must be in accordance with, and subject to, the confidentiality provisions required by applicable state and federal law, including, but not limited to, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and regulations pursuant to that act.  HISTORY: 2011 Act No. 62, Section 1, eff June 21, 2011.
SC Code § 44-61-680 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 44 - Health|Chapter 61 - Emergency Medical Services|Section 44-61-680. Limitation of application of article.

 This article is not a medical practice guideline and may not be used to restrict the authority of a hospital to provide services for which it has received a license under state law. The General Assembly intends that all patients be treated individually, based on each patient's needs and circumstances.  HISTORY: 2011 Act No. 62, Section 1, eff June 21, 2011.
SC Code § 44-61-690 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 44 - Health|Chapter 61 - Emergency Medical Services|Section 44-61-690. Regulations; duties contingent on funding and promulgation of regulations.

 (A) The department has the authority to promulgate regulations to carry out the purposes of this article.  (B) All of the department's duties pursuant to this article are contingent upon adequate funding to cover the department's operating and administrative costs and upon the promulgation of regulations. If adequate funding does not exist, the department is not obligated to carry out any duties pursuant to this article. The department is not obligated to carry out any duties pursuant to this article until the applicable regulations have been promulgated.  HISTORY: 2011 Act No. 62, Section 1, eff June 21, 2011.
SC Code § 44-61-710 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 44 - Health|Chapter 61 - Emergency Medical Services|Section 44-61-710. Purpose.

 In order to protect the public through verification of competency and ensure accountability for patient care-related activities all states license emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, such as emergency medical technicians (EMTs), advanced EMTs and paramedics. This compact is intended to facilitate the day-to-day movement of EMS personnel across state boundaries in the performance of their EMS duties as assigned by an appropriate authority and authorize state EMS offices to afford immediate legal recognition to EMS personnel licensed in a member state. This compact recognizes that states have a vested interest in protecting the public's health and safety through their licensing and regulation of EMS personnel and that such state regulation shared among the member states will best protect public health and safety. This compact is designed to achieve the following purposes and objectives:  (1) increase public access to EMS personnel;  (2) enhance the states' ability to protect the public's health and safety, especially patient safety;  (3) encourage the cooperation of member states in the areas of EMS personnel licensure and regulation;  (4) support licensing of military members who are separating from an active duty tour and their spouses;  (5) facilitate the exchange of information between member states regarding EMS personnel licensure, adverse action, and significant investigatory information;  (6) promote compliance with the laws governing EMS personnel practice in each member state; and  (7) invest all member states with the authority to hold EMS personnel accountable through the mutual recognition of member state licenses.  HISTORY: 2018 Act No. 248 (H.4486), Section 1, eff May 18, 2018.