2023 CODE OF GEORGIA › Title 31 - HEALTH (§§ 31-1-1 — 31-54-4) › Chapter 11 - EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (§§ 31-11-1 — 31-11-139) › Article 3 - PERSONNEL (§§ 31-11-49 — 31-11-61) › Section 31-11-60.1 - Program for physician control over emergency medical services to nonhospital patients

(a)
As used in this Code section, the term:
(1)
"Ambulance service medical director" means a physician licensed to practice in this state and subject to the approval of the local coordinating entity and the department who has agreed, in writing, to provide medical direction to a specific ambulance service.
(2)
"Base station facility" means any facility responsible for providing direct physician control of emergency medical services.
(3)
"District emergency medical services medical director" means a person who is:
(A)
A physician licensed to practice medicine in this state;
(B)
Familiar with the design and operation of prehospital emergency services systems;
(C)
Experienced in the prehospital emergency care of acutely ill or injured patients; and
(D)
Experienced in the administrative processes affecting regional and state prehospital emergency medical services systems.
(4)
"Emergency medical services personnel" means any emergency medical technician, paramedic, cardiac technician, or designated first responder who is certified under this article.
(b)
The department and the district emergency medical services medical directors shall develop and implement a program to ensure appropriate physician control over the rendering of emergency medical services by emergency medical services personnel to patients who are not in a hospital, which program shall include but not be limited to the following:
(1)
Medical protocols regarding permissible and appropriate emergency medical services which may be rendered by emergency medical services personnel to a patient not in a hospital;
(2)
Communication protocols regarding which medical situations require direct voice communication between emergency medical services personnel and a physician or a nurse or a paramedic or a physician assistant in direct communication with a physician prior to those emergency medical services personnel's rendering specified emergency medical services to a patient not in a hospital;
(3)
Record-keeping and accountability requirements for emergency medical services personnel and base station facility personnel in order to monitor compliance with this subsection; and
(4)
Base station facility standards.
(c)
The ambulance service medical director shall serve as the medical authority for the ambulance service, performing liaison activities with the medical community, medical facilities, and governmental agencies. The ambulance service medical director shall be responsible for the provision of medical direction and training for the emergency medical services personnel within the ambulance service for which he is responsible in conformance with acceptable emergency medical practices and procedures. These responsibilities shall include the duties set forth in the department's rules and regulations for ambulance services.
(d)
The district emergency medical services medical director shall not override those policies or protocols of the ambulance service medical director if that ambulance service medical director is documenting compliance with the department's rules and regulations for ambulance services.
(e)
Every base station facility shall comply with the policies, protocols, requirements, and standards provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section.
(f)
All emergency medical services personnel shall comply with appropriate policies, protocols, requirements, and standards of the ambulance service medical director for that service or the policies, protocols, requirements, and standards provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section.
(g)
Conduct which would otherwise constitute a violation of subsection (f) of this Code section shall not be such a violation if such conduct was carried out by any emergency medical services personnel pursuant to an order from a physician, the ambulance service medical director for such person, or the protocol of that ambulance service as approved by the ambulance service medical director for such person.
(h)
Violation by any base station facility of subsection (e) of this Code section may be grounds for the removal of that base station facility's designation by the department.
(i)
Enforcement of subsections (g) and (h) of this Code section shall commence no earlier than 12 months after July 1, 1989.
Amended by 2009 Ga. Laws 243,§ 3, eff. 7/1/2009.