EMS SYSTEMS-RURAL POPULATIONS

Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Provides that, in a rural population of 7,500 or fewer inhabitants, each EMS System medical director shall create an exception to the credentialing process to allow registered nurses, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses to serve as EMTs. Requires each EMS System medical director to accept documentation from an applicant detailing education from either continuing education or documented work experience and practical skill credentialing including, but not limited to, airway management, ambulance operations, extrication, telecommunications, and pre-hospital cardiac and trauma care. Requires each EMS System medical director to ensure that applicants meet EMS System requirements for credentialing and authorizing the practice in accordance with the EMS System Plan as an EMT. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Provides that, in a rural population of 5,000 or fewer inhabitants, each EMS System Medical Director may create an exception to the credentialing process to allow registered nurses, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses to apply to serve as volunteers who perform the same work as EMTs. Requires that, as part of the volunteer recognition process, EMS Systems shall ensure that registered nurses, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses have an active license issued by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Provides that the system-level recognition shall require documentation and proof of the completion of at least 20 hours of prehospital care-specific coursework approved by the Department of Public Health and 8 hours of observant riding time. Provides that each EMS System Medical Director who creates an exception to the credentialing process may require additional training or documentation and may reject a volunteer applicant for just cause. Provides that each exemption period shall be no longer than one year, after which time a volunteer applicant may apply for another exemption. Provides that each EMS System Medical Director is responsible for ensuring that volunteer applicants meet EMS System requirements for credentialing and authorizing the practice in accordance with the EMS System plan for basic life support. Provides that exceptions to the credentialing process are only allowable for volunteer EMS agencies in Illinois.