EMS-TRAUMA CENTER-PHYSICIANS

Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. In provisions concerning Level II Trauma Center minimum standards, provides that the Department of Public Health shall grant a permanent waiver of the requirement that an emergency medicine physician working at a Level II Trauma Center be board-certified in emergency medicine if it determines that certain criteria are met, including: (1) the trauma center is located in a county that (i) has a population of less than 75,000 and (ii) is a physician shortage area designated by the Director of Public Health or a health professional shortage area designated by the Secretary of Health and Human Services; (2) the trauma center demonstrates that it has tried, without success, to recruit a board-certified emergency medicine physician; and (3) the physician for whom the waiver is sought has at least 5 years of experience working as an emergency medicine physician in a trauma center setting and his or her education, training, and experience are equal to that of a physician who is board-certified in emergency medicine. Provides that the Department's authority to grant a waiver expires 5 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.