R426-3-700. Medical Control

  (1) All licensed providers shall enter into a written agreement with a physician to serve as its off-line medical director to supervise the medical care or instructions provided by the field EMS personnel and dispatchers. The physician shall be familiar with:

  (a) the design and operation of the local pre-hospital EMS system; and

  (b) local dispatch and communication systems and procedures.

  (2) The off-line medical director shall:

  (a) develop and implement patient care standards which include written standing orders and triage, treatment, and transport protocols;

  (b) ensure the qualification of field EMS personnel involved in patient care through the provision of ongoing continuing medical education programs and appropriate review and evaluation;

  (c) develop and implement an effective quality improvement program, including medical audit, review, and critique of patient care;

  (d) annually review triage, treatment, and transport protocols and update them as necessary;

  (e) suspend from patient care, pending Department review, a field EMS personnel who does not comply with local medical triage, treatment and transport protocols, or who violates any of the EMS rules, or who the medical director determines is providing emergency medical service in a careless or unsafe manner. The medical director shall notify the Department within one business day of the suspension;

  (f) attend meetings of the local EMS Council, if one exists, to participate in the coordination and operations of local EMS providers; and

  (g) licensed providers shall notify the Department if an off-line medical director is replaced, within thirty days.