California Emergency Medical Services Authority
Encyclopedia
The California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA or EMS Authority) is an agency of California
State government. The California EMS Authority is one of the thirteen departments within the California Health and Human Services Agency
. The director is required to be a physician with substantial experience in emergency medicine. Howard Backer, MD, MPH, FACEP is the current Director, and was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown on July 26, 2011. Daniel R. Smiley has been the chief deputy director since 1989.
The mission of the California EMS Authority is to ensure quality patient care by administering an effective, statewide system of coordinated emergency medical care, injury prevention, and disaster medical response.
In California, the EMS Authority is responsible for paramedic
licensure, emergency medical technician
regulations, trauma center
and trauma system standards, ambulance
service coordination, and disaster medical response.
The EMS Authority operates the EMS Central Registry, a public access database that provides information about licensing and certification status of EMTs and paramedics.
The EMS Authority manages the state's medical response to major disasters. This includes maintenance, staffing and deployment of three 200-bed mobile field hospitals, 39 Disaster Medical Support Units that supply ambulance strike teams, and three 40-person medical assistance teams that are prepared to respond to a disaster.
Disaster Healthcare Volunteers is California’s initiative to pre-register, verify licensure and credentials, and mobilize professional healthcare volunteers. The program has roughly 14,000 registrants representing 47 professional license types including doctors, nurses, paramedics, pharmacists, dentists, technicians, etc.
programs were established as a county option in California in 1971 by the Wedworth-Townsend Pilot Paramedic Act (SB 772). Los Angeles County became the first county in California with paramedics. The popular television show Emergency!
demonstrated the potential for improved pre-hospital care. Paramedic programs began to be established in many counties in California.
Before 1980, the responsibility for emergency medical services
(EMS) and disaster medical preparedness was spread among a variety of state departments. It became clear that a more unified approach to emergency and disaster medical services was needed. The Emergency Medical Services System and Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Personnel Act (California Health and Safety Code
sections 1797 et seq.) created the Emergency Medical Services Authority in 1980. This legislation (SB 125) was the culmination of several years of effort by local administrators, health care providers, consumer groups, and legislators to establish a state lead agency and centralized resource to deal with emergency and disaster medical services.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
State government. The California EMS Authority is one of the thirteen departments within the California Health and Human Services Agency
California Health and Human Services Agency
The California Health and Human Services Agency is the state agency tasked with administration and oversight of "state and federal programs for health care, social services, public assistance and rehabilitation" in the U.S. state of California. The agency is headed by the Secretary of the...
. The director is required to be a physician with substantial experience in emergency medicine. Howard Backer, MD, MPH, FACEP is the current Director, and was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown on July 26, 2011. Daniel R. Smiley has been the chief deputy director since 1989.
The mission of the California EMS Authority is to ensure quality patient care by administering an effective, statewide system of coordinated emergency medical care, injury prevention, and disaster medical response.
In California, the EMS Authority is responsible for paramedic
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
licensure, emergency medical technician
Emergency medical technician
Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
regulations, trauma center
Trauma center
A trauma center is a hospital equipped to provide comprehensive emergency medical services to patients suffering traumatic injuries. Trauma centers grew into existence out of the realization that traumatic injury is a disease process unto itself requiring specialized and experienced...
and trauma system standards, ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
service coordination, and disaster medical response.
The EMS Authority operates the EMS Central Registry, a public access database that provides information about licensing and certification status of EMTs and paramedics.
The EMS Authority manages the state's medical response to major disasters. This includes maintenance, staffing and deployment of three 200-bed mobile field hospitals, 39 Disaster Medical Support Units that supply ambulance strike teams, and three 40-person medical assistance teams that are prepared to respond to a disaster.
Disaster Healthcare Volunteers is California’s initiative to pre-register, verify licensure and credentials, and mobilize professional healthcare volunteers. The program has roughly 14,000 registrants representing 47 professional license types including doctors, nurses, paramedics, pharmacists, dentists, technicians, etc.
History and Background
ParamedicParamedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
programs were established as a county option in California in 1971 by the Wedworth-Townsend Pilot Paramedic Act (SB 772). Los Angeles County became the first county in California with paramedics. The popular television show Emergency!
Emergency!
Emergency! is an American television series that combines the medical drama and action-adventure genres. It was produced by Mark VII Limited and distributed by Universal Studios...
demonstrated the potential for improved pre-hospital care. Paramedic programs began to be established in many counties in California.
Before 1980, the responsibility for emergency medical services
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
(EMS) and disaster medical preparedness was spread among a variety of state departments. It became clear that a more unified approach to emergency and disaster medical services was needed. The Emergency Medical Services System and Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Personnel Act (California Health and Safety Code
California Health and Safety Code
California Law consists of 29 codes, covering various subject areas, the State Constitution and Statutes. The California Health and Safety Code is the code covering the subject areas of health and safety.-External links:...
sections 1797 et seq.) created the Emergency Medical Services Authority in 1980. This legislation (SB 125) was the culmination of several years of effort by local administrators, health care providers, consumer groups, and legislators to establish a state lead agency and centralized resource to deal with emergency and disaster medical services.