(a)Emergency medical services (EMS) Education Program
Standards. An EMS Education Program shall meet national education
training standards [The Texas Department of State Health
Services (department) shall develop and publish an EMS Education and
Training Manual (manual) outlining standards for EMS education]
that address at least the following areas:
(1) - (11)(No change.)
(b)Consideration of training standards. The department
shall base the education and training standards on applicable national
standards and guidelines for evaluation and approval of EMS education
programs adopted by national accrediting organizations.
[(1)The department shall base the
manual on applicable standards and guidelines for evaluation and approval
of EMS education programs adopted by national accrediting organizations.]
[(2)Before implementation or revision
of the manual, the department shall ensure adequate time for public
review and comment.]
[(3)Before implementation or revision
of the manual, the department shall present the manual to the advisory
council for review.]
(c)Curriculum.
(1)Emergency Care Attendant (ECA).
(A) - (B)(No change.)
(C)The course shall include a minimum of 60 [
40] clock hours of classroom and laboratory instruction in the
approved curriculum.
(2)Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
(A)(No change.)
(B)The course shall include a minimum of 150 [
140] clock hours of classroom, laboratory, clinical, and field
instruction which shall include supervised experiences in the emergency
department, with a licensed EMS provider and in other settings as
needed to develop the competencies defined in the minimum curriculum.
(3)Advanced Emergency Medical Technician
(AEMT) [-Intermediate (EMT- I)].
(A)The minimum curriculum shall include all content
required by the current national Advanced Emergency Medical Technician
(AEMT) standards and competencies as defined in the National EMS Education
Standards by DOT. The following areas must be addressed as outlined
in the AEMT national educational standards and the Health and Safety
Code, §773.048:
(i) - (xiii)(No change.)
(B)The course shall include a minimum of 250 [
160] clock hours of classroom, laboratory, clinical, and field
instruction which shall include supervised experiences in the emergency
department with a licensed EMS provider and in other settings as needed
to develop the competencies defined in the AEMT national educational
standards.
(C)A student shall have a current EMT certification
from the department or National Registry prior to beginning and throughout
field and clinical rotations in an AEMT [EMT-I]
course.
(4)Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (EMT-P).
(A)(No change.)
(B)The course shall include a minimum of 1000 [
624] clock hours of classroom, laboratory, clinical and field
instruction which shall include supervised experiences in the emergency
department with a licensed EMS provider and in other settings as needed
to develop the competencies defined in the minimum curriculum.
(C)A student shall have a current EMT or AEMT [
EMT-I] certification from the department or current EMT, EMT-I
or AEMT certification from the National Registry prior to beginning
and throughout field and clinical rotations in an EMT-P course.
(d)Sponsorship.
(1)(No change.)
(2)Program sponsors shall provide appropriate oversight
and supervision to ensure that programs [are]:
(A)are educationally and fiscally sound;
[and]
(B)meet the responsibilities listed in subsection
(o) of this section; and[.]
(C)has the required equipment and
resources to conduct the program.
(e)Levels of program approval.
(1) - (2)(No change.)
(3)AEMT [EMT-I] and EMT-P training
shall be conducted by an advanced program.
(4)(No change.)
(5)The Education programs must have
the authority or ownership to provide the program.
(6)Approval of a program by the department
is not transferable.
(f)Currently approved programs. Programs that have
obtained approval as of the effective date of this rule shall be considered
to have met the requirements of subsections (g) or (h) of this section
appropriate to their current level of approval. Paramedic programs
must [become accredited by December 31, 2012, and] provide
proof of accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied
Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)/Committee on Accreditation of Education
Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP),
or a national accrediting organization recognized by the department.
Alternatively, the program may provide a letter of review from
CAAHEP/CoAEMSP or a national accrediting organization recognized by
the department stating the education program has submitted the appropriate
documentation that indicates it being in pursuit of accreditation
as defined by that organization.
(g)Basic approval requirements. To approve a basic
program, an applicant shall:
(1) - (4)(No change.)
(5)have a medical director [if appropriate]
to the level or content of training. The medical director shall be
a licensed physician approved by the department with experience in
and current knowledge of emergency care. The medical director shall
be knowledgeable about educational programs for EMS personnel. In
addition to other duties assigned by the program, the medical director
shall:
(A) - (C)(No change.)
(6)(No change.)
(7)submit a completed application to the appropriate
regional office; [and]
(8)demonstrate substantial compliance with the EMS
education standards by successfully completing the self-study/on
site review process; and [self study/on-site review process
outlined in the manual.]
(9)provide a name and contact information
for the designated infection control officer and document education
for the designated infection control officer based on Subpart B of
the 1990 Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act, Public
Law 101-381.
(h)Advanced approval requirements. To approve an advanced
program, an applicant shall:
(1) - (4)(No change.)
(5)have a program director who contributes an adequate
amount of time to assure the success of the program. In addition to
other responsibilities, the program director shall be responsible
for the development, organization, administration, periodic review
and effectiveness of the program; and shall:
(A)routinely review student performance to assure
adequate progress toward completion of the program; [and]
(B) - (C)(No change.)
(6) - (7)(No change.)
(8)submit a completed application to the appropriate
regional office; [and]
(9)demonstrate substantial compliance with the EMS
education standards by successfully completing the self-study/on-site
review process outlined in the national education and training
standards; and [manual.]
(10)provide a name and contact information
for the designated infection control officer and document education
for the designated infection control officer based on Subpart B of
the 1990 Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act, Public
Law 101-381.
(i)Self-study requirements.
(1)A self-study is a self-evaluation and compilation
of documents that describes the proposed or existing program's overall
process. It will explain and/or document the program's organizational
structure, resources, facilities, record keeping, personnel and qualifications,
policies and procedures, text books, course delivery methods used,
clinical and field affiliations, student to patient contact matrix,
psychomotor competency evaluation, a copy of all advertisements, documents
provided to students and describe what is necessary for students to
complete the program.
(2)All proposed and/or existing programs must provide
a self-study at the basic (ECA and EMT) and/or advanced (AEMT and
Paramedic) level. Programs that offer paramedic education may submit
a copy of a self-study submitted to national accrediting organizations
to meet this requirement. However, they must submit supplemental documentation
to demonstrate substantial compliance with the EMS education standards
of this section.
(A)Each applicant for an EMS Program must submit a
self-study that contains the following items:
(i)an organizational chart;
(ii)a description of the ownership and sponsorship
of the proposed or existing program;
(iii)a description of financial resources;
(iv)a description of the record keeping process for
maintaining program, course, and student records;
(v)a description of the facilities;
(vi)a description of learning resources;
(vii)a description of equipment and supplies;
(viii)a description of personnel (faculty and staff)
and qualifications;
(ix)a description of the instructor /faculty credentialing,
evaluation and continuing education process.
(x)a description of the clinical and field internship
affiliations;
(xi)a description of the student to patient contact
ratio and how it will be tracked and monitored. If an existing program
at renewal, include a student patient contact ratio report;
(xii)a description of the text books and curriculum;
(xiii)a description of the psychomotor competency
evaluation process;
(xiv)a copy of any policies and procedures used for
faculty, staff and students, that address the following:
(I)attendance, tardiness, and participation;
(II)program medical director change;
(III)cheating;
(IV)clinical and field internship;
(V)complaint resolution;
(VI)conduct, safety and health;
(VII)counseling and coaching of students;
(VIII)dress and hygiene requirements;
(IX)grading;
(X)grievance and appeals;
(XI)immunizations;
(XII)policies for the prevention of sexual harassment;
(XIII)policies for the prevention of discrimination
based on race, sex, creed, national origin, sexual preference, age,
handicap or medical problems;
(XIV)psychomotor competency evaluation;
(XV)record keeping and access to records;
(XVI)student faculty relationships;
(XVII)student screening and enrollment;
(XVIII)test review and makeup; and
(XIX)tuition and/or fee reimbursement.
(XX)Provide a name and contact information for the
designated infection control officer, and document education for the
designated infection control officer based on U.S. Code, Title 42,
Chapter 6A, Subchapter XXIV, Part G, §300ff-136.
(xv)a sample of all advertisements and any documents
given to potential students, students and exiting students; and
(xvi)a description of any and all requirements for
a student to complete a course.
(j)[(i)] Provisional approval.
If following the department's review of the self-study, the applicant
is found to be in substantial compliance with established national EMS
education standards [outlined in the manual], the department
shall issue a provisional approval.
(k)[(j)] Lack of substantial
compliance. If following the department's review of the self-study,
the applicant is not found in substantial compliance with EMS education
standards [outlined in the manual], the program director
and sponsor shall receive a written report detailing:
(1)any deficiencies; and
(2)specific recommendations for improvement that will
be necessary before provisional approval may be granted.
(l)[(k)] On-site review. After
the completion of a provisionally-approved program's first course,
an on-site review shall be conducted. The on-site review process
is the department inspector's review of a proposed and/or existing
program's records plan, self-study, equipment, facilities and clinical
and field internship facilities, and student-to-patient contact ratios. [
as outlined in the manual.]
(1)If the program is found to be in substantial compliance
with established EMS education standards and all fees and expenses
associated with the self-study and on-site review have been paid,
the department shall approve the program for a period of four years
[as set forth in the manual] and issue an approval number.
The program director and sponsor shall receive a written report of
the site-review team's findings, including areas of exceptional strength,
areas of weakness and recommendations for improvement.
(2)If the program is not in substantial compliance
with established EMS education standards, the program director and
sponsor shall receive a written report detailing deficiencies and
specific requirements for improvement. Depending on the nature and
severity of the identified deficiencies within the program, the program
may or may not be allowed to continue training activities. In all
cases, the department in consultation with program officials
shall devise a remedial plan for the deficiencies.
(3)Upon completion of a remedial plan a program shall
be approved for a period of four years [as outlined
by the manual].
(m)[(l)] Exception to sponsorship
requirements for advanced programs.
(1)If an urgent need for an advanced program or an
EMS operator instructor program exists in an area and cannot be met
by an entity that meets the sponsorship requirements defined in subsection
(d) [(h)(2)] of this section, a licensed EMS provider
may request the department to grant an exception to allow the EMS
provider to sponsor an advanced program.
(2)Such request must be submitted in writing and must
include the following:
(A)documentation of the need for an advanced program
and of the urgency of the situation;
(B)documentation that the EMS provider has successfully
operated a basic program;
(C)documentation of attempts by the EMS provider to
affiliate with an entity that meets the requirements of subsection
(h)(2) of this section;
(D)a letter from the EMS provider agreeing to assume
all responsibilities of advanced program sponsorship;
(E)letters of intent from qualified providers of clinical
and field internship experience appropriate to the level of training
to be offered; and
(F)a letter of intent from a medical director who
will agree to perform the responsibilities listed in subsection (h)(6)
of this section.
(3)In determining whether the request for an exception
is to be approved or denied, the department shall consider, but not
be limited to, the following issues:
(A)the quality of the basic program previously operated
by the EMS provider;
(B)evidence that the EMS provider possesses the resources
and dedication necessary to operate an advanced program that complies
with the EMS education standards;
(C)the efforts of the EMS provider to affiliate with
an entity that meets the requirements of subsection (h)(2) of this
section;
(D)the availability of an approved advanced program
within a reasonable distance of the affected area;
Cont'd...
|
