West Virginia Code of State Rules › Agency 64 - Health › Title 64 - LEGISLATIVE RULE WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN RESOURCES › Series 64-48 - Emergency Medical Services › Section 64-48-2 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
2.1. Advanced
				Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) -- A person certified as an Advanced
				Emergency Medical Technician.
2.2.
				Advanced Life Support (ALS) -- A level of emergency medical services which
				includes, but is not limited to, the assessment, treatment, and transportation
				of sick and injured persons, invasive and non-invasive medical procedures, the
				administration of medications and basic life support procedures as approved for
				the appropriate level of certification by the OEMS Medical Direction
				System.
2.3. Air Ambulance -- An
				aircraft configured and medically equipped to transport patients by air. The
				patient care compartment of air medical ambulances shall be staffed by a
				certified medical crew meeting the requirements of this rule.
2.4. Agency Medical Director -- A West
				Virginia licensed physician who meets the requirements of subdivision 9.1.1. of
				this rule, and accepts responsibility for providing medical oversight, medical
				performance review, and extending privilege to practice to a licensed EMS
				agency and its personnel under the guidelines established by OEMS.
2.5. Basic Life Support (BLS) -- A level of
				emergency medical services which includes, but is not limited to, assessment,
				treatment, and transportation of sick and injured persons, including medical
				procedures, the administration of limited medications, basic life-saving
				procedures, and continuous medical supervision as approved for the appropriate
				level of certification by the OEMS Medical Direction System.
2.6. Certification -- The process by which a
				person acquires a certificate as an emergency medical services personnel for a
				level in which he or she is not currently certified in this state.
2.7. Certification Transfer -- The issuance
				of certification through reciprocity, legal recognition, or equivalency based
				on prior training, certification, or licensure in another state, commonwealth,
				territory, or the United States military.
2.8. Communications Center -- A facility that
				receives calls for emergency assistance and dispatches the appropriate
				responders to EMS incidents for a particular geographic area. These facilities
				include, but are not limited to
				9-1-1
				centers, stand-alone dispatch centers, and other public safety answering
				points.
2.9. CPR - Cardio-Pulmonary
				Resuscitation.
2.10. Criminal
				history background check -- A report from a criminal history record system
				maintained by federal or state governmental agencies that is based on
				fingerprint identification.
2.11.
				Critical Care Transport -- A level of sophisticated, specialized medical care
				and transportation requiring specifically trained, skilled, and equipped
				personnel operating under guidelines established by the OEMS Medical Direction
				System.
2.12. Data System -- An
				electronic system designated by OEMS for the collection, storage, and retrieval
				of all information relating to the provision of emergency medical services
				including, but not limited to, electronic patient care records, the
				credentialing information system (CIS), the state medical asset resource
				tracking tool (SMARTT), emergency medical services toolkits, medical command
				data, and other specialized data collections.
2.13. Director of the Office of Emergency
				Medical Services, OEMS Director, or Director -- The Director of the Office of
				Emergency Medical Services within the Bureau for Public Health.
2.14. Disaster -- A natural or man-made
				occurrence which creates need for the provision of EMS which exceeds the
				capacity of prompt provision of care or transportation by the EMS providers in
				the immediate area of the occurrence.
2.15. Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) -- A
				person certified as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher.
2.16. Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) -- A
				person certified as an Emergency Medical Responder.
2.17. Emergency Medical Service Agency or EMS
				agency - A person or entity licensed to provide emergency medical
				services.
2.18. Emergency Medical
				Services Vehicle (EMS vehicle) -- EMS transportation vehicles including:
				ambulances, air ambulances, and other patient transportation vehicles, and
				non-transporting, medically equipped vehicles operated by licensed EMS agencies
				as described in this rule. EMS vehicles include any private or publicly owned
				vehicle or craft intended to provide on-scene emergency medical services or
				patient transportation.
2.19.
				Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) -- A person certified as an Emergency
				Medical Technician.
2.20. Emergency
				Medical Vehicle Operator (EMVO) -- A person certified as an Emergency Medical
				Vehicle Operator.
2.21. Incident --
				An event which generates a request to provide emergency medical services
				assessment, treatment, or transportation by EMS agencies and personnel.
				Incidents include, but are not limited to
				9-1-1
				response, non-emergency transportation, inter-facility transport, patient
				refusals of care, no care needed or provided, and standby in support of other
				emergency responses or emergency events.
2.22. Inspector -- A person authorized by
				OEMS to inspect EMS agencies, vehicles, training institutions, or other
				facilities as necessary.
2.23.
				Investigator -- A person authorized by OEMS to conduct investigations on behalf
				of the Commissioner.
2.24. Local
				System -- A coordinated arrangement of resources organized to provide emergency
				ambulance service within a defined geographical area. The systems are provided
				under the authority of either a county commission, statutory ambulance
				authority, or other legislatively established entity charged with the
				responsibility for providing the service.
2.25. Medical Command Center -- A designated
				facility staffed by paramedic communications specialists, operating under
				medical supervision, who provide online advice and direction to EMS personnel
				for specific EMS incidents regarding treatment, triage, and destination
				decisions under the guidelines of the EMS Medical Direction System.
2.26. Medical Command Physician (MCP) -- A
				West Virginia licensed physician operating as part of a medical command center
				who provides online medical direction to EMS personnel using patient care
				treatment, triage and transportation protocols and guidelines approved by the
				Office of EMS. The MCP has ultimate authority and responsibility for patient
				care activities provided on a specific EMS incident.
2.27. Medical Direction System -- The
				aggregate medical resources responsible for the establishment of policies and
				procedures governing all aspects of the operation of the online and offline
				medical direction for all EMS activities in West Virginia.
2.28. Medical Facility -- Any hospital,
				medical clinic, physician's office, or other similar facility, licensed or
				certified by the appropriate state agency, at which medical care and treatment
				is available.
2.29. Medical Policy
				and Care Committee (MPCC) -- The MPCC is composed of each regional medical
				director and may include physicians representing specialty areas such as
				pediatrics, trauma, cardiology and others as necessary. The committee serves as
				the primary policy making body and advisory body to the State Medical Director
				concerning medical issues involving the OEMS system. The committee shall meet
				at least biannually, or more frequently as necessary.
2.30. Mobile Critical Care Nurse (MCCN) -- A
				person possessing a valid, unrestricted Registered Nurse license in West
				Virginia who meets OEMS requirements for paramedic certification, who has
				completed additional state-approved education, and meets other requirements to
				provide Critical Care Transport.
2.31. Mobile Critical Care Paramedic (MCCP)
				-- A person certified as a paramedic who has completed additional
				state-approved education and meets other requirements to provide Critical Care
				Transport.
2.32. NEMSIS - The
				National Emergency Medical System Information System.
2.33. Non-Public EMS Response Entity -- A
				licensed EMS agency which provides EMS to a specific population and geographic
				area, including, but not limited to, industrial sites and military operations.
				The service is not accessible by or available to the general public.
2.34. OEMS -- The Office of Emergency Medical
				Services under the Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health as created by
				statute in W. Va. Code §
									16-4C-4.
2.35. Official Representative -- An
				individual assigned by the licensed EMS agency with signature authority to
				represent the licensed EMS agency.
2.36. Offline Medical Direction -- The
				component of medical oversight provided to EMS personnel and agencies
				including, but not limited to, medical treatment protocols and guidelines,
				triage protocols, destination protocols, policies and procedures, determination
				of EMS personnel scopes of practice, privilege to practice, medical command
				center operation, and other issues of a medical nature.
2.37. Online Medical Direction -- The medical
				direction given by personnel at an approved Medical Command Center to EMS
				personnel at the time of an EMS incident, by voice or other means, as
				established by OEMS protocol and guidelines.
2.38. Paramedic -- A person certified as a
				Paramedic.
2.39. PCR - Patient Care
				Reports.
2.40. Patient
				Transportation -- Movement or transfer of a patient from any location to
				another by an EMS vehicle licensed by OEMS.
2.41. Pilot-in-Command -- A person who
				possesses appropriate Federal Aviation Administration credentials and who,
				pursuant to this rule, is responsible for the operation of an air
				ambulance.
2.42. Preliminary
				criminal history background check -- A report from a criminal history record
				system maintained by federal or state governmental agencies, the source of
				which is approved by the Commissioner, that is based on a method of positive
				identification other than fingerprint identification.
2.43. PreMIS - West Virginia Prehospital
				Information System.
2.44. Primary
				patient caregiver -- A person certified pursuant to this rule who has primary
				authority and responsibility for the care of patients with respect to the
				provision of emergency medical services on a particular EMS incident.
2.45. Privilege to practice --
				Authority to perform those skills and procedures defined within the scope of
				practice established by the OEMS Medical Direction System for a particular
				level of certification granted by the agency medical director with concurrence
				of the State Medical Director.
2.46. Protocol -- A document developed and
				approved by the Medical Policy and Care Committee that describes the diagnostic
				procedures, treatment procedures, medication administration, and patient care
				practices that shall be completed by EMS personnel within their scope of
				practice based upon the assessment of a patient, and the scope of practice of
				the primary patient caregiver.
2.47. Rapid response -- A form of EMS
				designed to provide an initial response service to improve EMS incident
				response time and patient outcome. Rapid response services shall be coordinated
				as part of a local EMS System or licensed EMS agency. Rapid response EMS
				personnel operating under the OEMS Medical Direction System, provide on-scene
				assessment, intervention, and treatment without patient
				transportation.
2.48.
				Recertification -- The process by which EMS personnel renew an EMS certificate
				for which they are or were certified in this state.
2.49. Regional EMS Medical Director -- A West
				Virginia licensed physician, recommended by a regional EMS Board of Directors
				and by the State Medical Director, appointed by the Commissioner to oversee
				medical aspects of EMS within a particular geographic region of the
				state.
2.50. SMPMT - Specialized
				multi-patient medical transport.
2.51. State Medical Director -- A West
				Virginia licensed physician, board certified in emergency medicine, with
				substantial experience in emergency medicine, appointed by the Commissioner, to
				oversee all medical aspects of the OEMS.