§ 1009.1. Operational criteria.

 To qualify as a medical command facility, an institution shall comply with the following criteria:

   (1)  Employ a medical command facility medical director who meets the requirements specified in §  1003.3(b) (relating to medical command facility medical director).

   (2)  Employ sufficient staff to ensure that at least one approved medical command physician, meeting the requirements specified in §  1003.4(b) (relating to medical command physician), is present in the facility 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week.

   (3)  Satisfy the following communication and recordkeeping requirements:

     (i)   Compatibility with regional telecommunication systems plans, if in place.

     (ii)   Communication by way of telecommunications equipment/radios with BLS and ALS units within the area in which medical command is exercised.

     (iii)   Tape recording of medical command communications.

     (iv)   Maintenance of a medical command record, containing appropriate information on patients for whom medical command is sought.

     (v)   An appropriate program for training emergency department staff in the effective use of telecommunication equipment.

     (vi)   Protocols to provide for prompt response to requests from prehospital personnel for radio or telephone medical guidance, assistance or advice.

   (4)  Accurately and promptly relay information regarding patients to the appropriate receiving facility.

   (5)  Adhere to transfer and medical treatment protocols established by the regional EMS council, or, when dealing with an air ambulance service, as approved by the Department.

   (6)  Establish a program of regular case audit conferences involving the medical command facility medical director or the director’s designee and prehospital personnel for purposes of problem identification, and a process to correct identified problems.

   (7)  Obtain a contingency agreement with at least one other medical command facility to assure availability of medical command.

   (8)  Establish internal procedures that comply with regional EMS transfer and medical treatment protocols.

   (9)  Notify PSAPs, through which it routinely receives requests for medical command, when it will not have a medical command physician available to provide medical command.

   (10)  Establish a plan to ensure that medical command is available at all times during mass casualty situations, natural disasters and declared states of emergency.

   (11)  Participate in the regional EMS council’s quality improvement program for monitoring the delivery of EMS.

   (12)  Adopt procedures for maintaining medical command communication records and tapes under §  117.43 (relating to medical records), and maintain tapes of medical command communications for at least 180 days.

   (13)  Employ sufficient administrative support staff to enable the institution to carry out its essential duties which include, but are not limited to: audits, equipment maintenance and processing and responding to complaints.

   (14)  Establish a program of training for medical command physicians, prehospital personnel and emergency department staff.

   (15)  Provide medical command to prehospital personnel whenever they seek direction.

   The provisions of this §  1009.1 amended October 13, 2000, effective October 14, 2000, 30 Pa.B. 5363. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (247559) to (247560).

   This section cited in 28 Pa. Code §  1003.4 (relating to medical command physician); 28 Pa. Code §  1009.4 (relating to suspension/revocation of accreditation); and 28 Pa. Code §  1009.5 (relating to biennial review of accredited facilities).