Article VII — Quality Improvement

To ensure that ambulances are operating in the best interest of the public health and safety, and that ambulance companies are utilizing properly trained staff, each permittee will be required to have a quality improvement program that:

A.

Utilizes a physician, RN, or paramedic with experience in quality improvement to direct and coordinate quality improvement activities (exceptions to this may be made on an individual basis by the county).

B.

Reviews patient care provided by their employees.

C.

Meets the requirements of the State Emergency Medical Services Authority's Quality Improvement Program contained in the California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Division 9.

D.

Identifies problems or issues regarding patient care and proposes solutions for corrective action.

E.

Participates in the county's collection of data regarding quality of patient care.

F.

Includes disciplinary procedures to be used when appropriate.

G.

Maintains a radio recording of all calls for ambulance services requested, all dispatch instructions given, and all communications between the dispatch center and the ambulance unit until the ambulance run is completed. Recordings must be stored for a period of at least sixty (60) days.

H.

Ensures that all drivers have completed an emergency vehicle operation course (EVOC) driver training course, or its equivalent, related to responding to calls for emergency medical service that includes, but is not limited to, the following didactic and practical components: legal aspects of the emergency ambulance operation, the practice of defensive driving, accident avoidance, principles of vehicle control, routine vehicle safety checks, breaking and stopping, acceleration, and steering.

I.

Requires the use of the county's designated prehospital care report, the unusual occurrence form, and/or other approved reports that include all required data elements for all emergency medical and those runs and refusal of service against medical advice.

J.

Requires staff to attend, at no expense to the county, EMS orientation, and other education and training programs as may be reasonably requested by the county.

K.

Is consistent with the county's quality assurance/quality improvement plan.

L.

Permittees, or a designated employee(s), shall actively participate on any committees, at the request of the county, to provide for continued system performance.

M.

Documentation outlining the quality improvement program is to be submitted to the county as part of the ambulance service permit application process.

(Ord. 2007-48 § 2 (part))

(Ord. No. 2012-25, § 2, 6-26-12)

Critical care transport ambulance companies are additionally responsible for submitting a continuous quality improvement plan according to the specifications in the county's CCT policy.

(Ord. 2007-48 § 2 (part))

(Ord. No. 2012-25, § 2, 6-26-12)