New Mexico Administrative Code › Title 7 - HEALTH › Chapter 27 - EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES › Part 5 - CERTIFICATION OF AIR AMBULANCE › Section 7.27.5.7 - DEFINITIONS

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 13, July 16, 2024
A. "Act (EMS Act)"
				means the Emergency Medical Services Act, [Sections
				24-10B-1,
				et seq., NMSA 1978].
B. "Advanced
				life support air ambulance service" means an organization, certified by the
				bureau, to transport in an air ambulance, patient(s) who require basic life
				support (BLS) or advanced life support (ALS) care.
C. "Advanced life support (ALS)" means
				advanced pre-hospital and inter-facility care and treatment, as authorized by
				regulation, which may be performed only by a person licensed by the department
				as an emergency medical technician - paramedic (EMT-P), or licensed by the
				state at a higher level, or otherwise authorized to practice ALS.
D. "Air ambulance service" means any
				governmental or private service that provides air transportation specifically
				designed to accommodate the medical needs of a person who is ill, injured or
				otherwise mentally or physically incapacitated and who requires in-flight
				medical supervision.
E. "Air
				ambulance certificate" means a document issued by the department as evidence
				that an air ambulance service meets the requirements for certification at the
				advanced life support, critical or specialty care level, as found in these
				rules.
F. "Aircraft type" means a
				particular make and model of helicopter or fixed wing aircraft.
G. "Aircraft operator" means the vendor
				and/or owner who operates and maintains the aircraft utilized by an air
				ambulance service.
H. "Air medical
				transport advisory committee (AMTAC)" means a subcommittee of the statewide EMS
				advisory committee as authorized by the EMS Act, Section
				24-10B-7.A.,
				NMSA 1978. The term "air medical transport advisory committee" as used
				throughout these rules is synonymous with "air transport advisory
				committee".
I. "Bureau" means the
				emergency medical systems bureau of the epidemiology and response division, of
				the department of health.
J.
				"Certification evaluation team" means a team appointed by the bureau for the
				purpose of performing an initial or subsequent inspection of air medical
				services seeking certification, or of those already certified.
K. "Combination service" means any service
				that has more than one type of aircraft, for example, fixed wing and rotor
				wing.
L. "Commission on the
				accreditation of medical transport systems (CAMTS)" means a national
				accrediting organization that evaluates air ambulance services based on air
				ambulance industry standards established by CAMTS.
M. "Critical care air ambulance service"
				means an organization certified by the bureau to transport patients in an air
				ambulance that requires critical care.
N. "Critical care" means pre-hospital or
				inter-facility care and treatment, respectively, that exceeds the advanced life
				support level of care, as authorized by rule. The critical care mission shall
				consist of at least one critical care provider and at least one additional
				provider which shall be licensed at or above the ALS level of care, and/or
				specifically trained in the area of care required. Additional providers may be
				added as necessary.
O. "Critical
				care provider" means the critical care primary provider shall consist of at
				least one registered nurse, physician assistant, nurse practitioner and/or
				medical physician trained in the area of critical care.
P. "Department" means the department of
				health.
Q. "Emergency medical
				services (EMS)" means the services rendered by providers in response to an
				individual's need for immediate medical care to prevent loss of life or
				aggravation of physical or psychological illness or injury.
R. "Federal aviation regulations (FAR)" means
				regulations promulgated by the federal aviation administration of the U.S.
				department of transportation, governing the operation of all aircraft within
				the United States.
S. "Level of
				service" means the highest level at which the air ambulance service is
				certified to function on a 24 hours a day, seven days a week basis.
T. "Medical control" means supervision,
				provided by or under the direction of physicians to providers by written
				protocol and/or direct communication.
U. "Medical direction" means guidance or
				supervision provided by a physician to a provider or emergency medical services
				system and which includes authority over and responsibility for emergency
				medical dispatch, direct patient care and transport of patients, arrangements
				for medical control and all other aspects of patient care delivered by a
				provider.
V. "Medical direction
				committee" means a committee of physicians and emergency medical technicians,
				appointed by the secretary of health to advise the bureau on all matters
				relating to medical control and medical direction.
W. "Medical director" means a physician who
				has the responsibility for oversight of patient care of an EMS system or EMS
				provider service, including providing for or ensuring the medical control of
				emergency medical technicians, the development, implementation, and evaluation
				of medical protocols, and quality assurance activities.
X. "Physician" means a doctor of medicine or
				doctor of osteopathy who is licensed or otherwise authorized to practice
				medicine or osteopathic medicine in New Mexico.
Y. "Protocol" means a predetermined, written
				medical care plan and includes standing orders.
Z. "Provider" means a person who has been
				licensed by the appropriate agency to provide patient care at the ALS, critical
				or specialty care level.
AA.
				"Regional office" means an emergency medical services planning and development
				agency formally recognized and supported by the bureau.
BB. "Secretary" means the secretary of
				health.
CC. "Service" means a
				certified air ambulance service authorized to operate in the state of New
				Mexico under these rules.
DD.
				"Specialty care" means care and treatment that exceeds the advanced life
				support level of care, as authorized by regulation. The specialty care mission
				shall consist of at least one specialty care provider and at least one
				additional provider which shall be licensed at or above the ALS level of care,
				and/or specifically trained in the area of care required. Additional providers
				may be added as necessary.
EE.
				"Specialty care provider" means a caregiver appropriately trained and licensed
				to provide patient care as defined by the mission.