| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to cardiology services; providing |
| 3 | legislative findings and intent; providing definitions; |
| 4 | requiring the Department of Health to create a list of |
| 5 | percutaneous intervention centers and distribute the list |
| 6 | to emergency medical services providers in the state; |
| 7 | directing the department to develop and distribute a |
| 8 | sample cardiac triage assessment tool; requiring emergency |
| 9 | medical services providers to use a similar assessment |
| 10 | tool; requiring licensed emergency medical services |
| 11 | providers to develop and use certain specified protocols; |
| 12 | providing duties of the department; requiring a report; |
| 13 | providing for meetings; requiring compliance by a certain |
| 14 | date; providing an effective date. |
| 15 |
|
| 16 | WHEREAS, every year, approximately 24,000 people in this |
| 17 | state suffer a life-threatening heart attack, one-third of whom |
| 18 | die within 24 hours after the attack, and |
| 19 | WHEREAS, fewer than 20 percent of heart attack victims |
| 20 | receive emergency angioplasty to open blocked arteries, and |
| 21 | WHEREAS, studies have shown that individuals suffering a |
| 22 | life-threatening heart attack have better outcomes if they |
| 23 | receive emergency angioplasty, and |
| 24 | WHEREAS, studies have shown that opening a blocked coronary |
| 25 | artery with emergency angioplasty within recommended timeframes |
| 26 | can effectively prevent or significantly minimize permanent |
| 27 | damage to the heart, and |
| 28 | WHEREAS, even fewer patients receive the procedure within |
| 29 | the timeframe recommended by the American Heart Association, and |
| 30 | WHEREAS, damage to the heart muscle can result in death, |
| 31 | congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and other chronic |
| 32 | diseases of the heart, and |
| 33 | WHEREAS, organizations such as the American Heart |
| 34 | Association, the American College of Cardiology, and the Florida |
| 35 | College of Emergency Physicians recommend deploying protocols |
| 36 | and systems to help ensure that people suffering from a life- |
| 37 | threatening heart attack receive the latest evidence-based care, |
| 38 | such as emergency angioplasty, within recommended timeframes, |
| 39 | and |
| 40 | WHEREAS, Florida's trauma services system and emergency |
| 41 | stroke treatment system have dramatically improved the care |
| 42 | provided for individuals suffering from a traumatic injury or a |
| 43 | stroke, and |
| 44 | WHEREAS, a statewide emergency cardiac system can help |
| 45 | ensure that people suffering from a life-threatening heart |
| 46 | attack will receive the latest evidence-based care within |
| 47 | recommended timeframes, NOW, THEREFORE, |
| 48 |
|
| 49 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 50 |
|
| 51 | Section 1. Emergency medical services providers; triage |
| 52 | and transportation of ST elevation myocardial infarction victims |
| 53 | to a percutaneous intervention center; definitions.-- |
| 54 | (1)(a) The Legislature finds that rapid identification and |
| 55 | treatment of serious heart attacks known as ST elevation |
| 56 | myocardial infarction according to the latest evidence-based |
| 57 | standards can significantly improve outcomes by reducing death |
| 58 | and disability by rapidly restoring blood flow to the heart. |
| 59 | (b) The Legislature further finds that a strong emergency |
| 60 | system to support survival from life-threatening heart attacks |
| 61 | is needed in our communities in order to treat victims in a |
| 62 | timely manner and to improve the overall care of heart attack |
| 63 | victims. |
| 64 | (c) Therefore, the Legislature intends to establish a |
| 65 | statewide emergency cardiac system to help improve outcomes for |
| 66 | individuals suffering from a life-threatening heart attack. |
| 67 | (2) As used in this section, the term: |
| 68 | (a) "Agency" means the Agency for Health Care |
| 69 | Administration. |
| 70 | (b) "Department" means the Department of Health. |
| 71 | (3) By June 1 of each year, the department shall send a |
| 72 | list of the names and addresses of every percutaneous |
| 73 | intervention center in the state to the medical director of each |
| 74 | licensed emergency medical services provider in the state. |
| 75 | (4) The department shall develop a sample cardiac triage |
| 76 | assessment tool. The department must post this sample assessment |
| 77 | tool on its website and provide a copy of the assessment tool to |
| 78 | each licensed emergency medical services provider no later than |
| 79 | March 1, 2008. Each licensed medical services provider must use |
| 80 | a cardiac triage assessment tool substantially similar to the |
| 81 | sample cardiac triage assessment tool provided by the |
| 82 | department. |
| 83 | (5) The medical director of each licensed emergency |
| 84 | medical services provider shall develop and implement |
| 85 | assessment, treatment, and transportation protocols for cardiac |
| 86 | patients and employ those protocols to assess, treat, and |
| 87 | transport cardiac patients to the most appropriate hospital. |
| 88 | (6) The department shall develop and provide technical |
| 89 | support, equipment recommendations, and necessary training for |
| 90 | effective identification of acute ST elevation myocardial |
| 91 | infarction patients to the medical directors of each licensed |
| 92 | emergency medical services provider. The department shall model |
| 93 | the sample cardiac triage assessment tool on the American Heart |
| 94 | Association's advanced cardiovascular life support chest pain |
| 95 | algorithm for prehospital assessment, triage, and treatment of |
| 96 | patients with suspected ST elevation myocardial infarction. The |
| 97 | department shall conduct an annual survey of all licensed |
| 98 | emergency medical services providers to determine the quality of |
| 99 | their equipment, their training requirements, and their |
| 100 | performance regarding the practical application of protocols and |
| 101 | the identification of acute ST elevation myocardial infarction |
| 102 | in the field. The department shall report its survey finding and |
| 103 | make the results of the survey available to emergency medical |
| 104 | services providers and other stakeholders. |
| 105 | (7) The department is encouraged to identify and provide |
| 106 | opportunities, partnerships, and resources to secure appropriate |
| 107 | equipment for identification of ST elevation myocardial |
| 108 | infarction in the field to all licensed emergency medical |
| 109 | service providers. |
| 110 | (8) The department shall convene stakeholders at least |
| 111 | once a year after implementation of the assessment tool to |
| 112 | facilitate the sharing of experiences and best practices. The |
| 113 | best practices shall be made available on the department's |
| 114 | website. |
| 115 | (9) Each emergency medical services provider licensed |
| 116 | under chapter 401, Florida Statutes, must comply with this |
| 117 | section by July 1, 2008. |
| 118 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |