 I hope everyone had a great Holiday season and a Happy New Year. I want to update you on some issues that we have been working on.
First, you may recall that in the fall, the Governor's Office proposed changes to Part 800 (Emergency Medical Services) of Title 10 of the Official Codes of Rules and Regulations of the State of New York (10NYCRR). These changes were posted in the New York State Register. While there were changes that made sense, there were others that did not. NYSVARA, along with many others, sent our concerns to the Governor's Office. As a result of everyone's comments and concerns, the original proposal was withdrawn and revisions were made. It seems as though they listened. CLICK HERE for the Revised Part 800 Final EMS Changes. Please take a few minutes and review the proposed changes. Additional comments can be sent to the Governor's Office at the address at the end of the document.
Second, our Legislative Committee met and is in the process of developing our 2015 Legislative Agenda. It will be posted on our web site shortly. When the legislature reconvenes, it is a new session. All bills have to be re-introduced. If you have any issues that you would like our committee to consider, please send them to [email protected].
Third, in October 2013, New York State Emergency Medical Advisory Committee passed a resolution mandating that all ALS agencies must become licensed and carry narcotics by May 2015 if they wished to retain their ALS certification. At the recent SEMAC and SEMSCO meetings, attorneys for the Office of Primary Care and Health Systems Management (OPCHSM) presented a statement that as it stands, the resolution is unenforceable. Due to the requirement that a license is required, this must be put into regulation rather than a resolution or policy statement. This is a lengthy 6 step process. The SEMSCO approved supporting OPCHSM in developing the regulation. Several protocols were approved including BLS use of single lumen supra-glottic airway for cardiac arrest, protocol for BLS use of CPAP. They also approved the ALS Formulary without specifying dose and route for each medication. This would allow for chances and regional differences. The SEMAC approved that any regional protocol that has been approved by SEMAC can be by any other region as long as SEMAC is notified. There was discussion and a recommendation for Statewide ALS protocols. The long awaited spinal immobilization protocol was approved. There was considerable frustration expressed when the Bureau advised that there would be a lengthy process needed to change the training and testing to reflect changes in care.
Plans are underway for Pulsecheck 2015. It will be held September 24-27, 2015 at the Crowne Plaza in Suffern, NY. Please regularly visit our website for updates.
Lastly, as always, I want to thank everyone for their support. If you would like to assist us, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I hope to see you at Pulse Check 2015. Be safe!
Michael J. Mastrianni, Jr. President | 
