MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Public Health and Welfare; Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Huggins

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 41-59-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT HOSPITALS LOCATED IN CONTIGUOUS STATES MAY BE DESIGNATED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AS PART OF THE STATEWIDE TRAUMA CARE SYSTEM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 41-59-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

41-59-3. As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the term:

(a) "Ambulance" shall mean any privately or publicly owned land or air vehicle that is especially designed, constructed, modified or equipped to be used, maintained and operated upon the streets, highways or airways of this state to assist persons who are sick, injured, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated or helpless;

(b) "Permit" shall mean an authorization issued for an ambulance vehicle and/or a special use EMS vehicle as meeting the standards adopted pursuant to this chapter;

(c) "License" shall mean an authorization to any person, firm, corporation, or governmental division or agency to provide ambulance services in the State of Mississippi;

(d) "Emergency medical technician" shall mean an individual who possesses a valid emergency medical technician's certificate issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter;

(e) "Certificate" shall mean official acknowledgment that an individual has successfully completed the recommended basic emergency medical technician training course referred to in this chapter which entitles that individual to perform the functions and duties of an emergency medical technician;

(f) "Board" shall mean the State Board of Health;

(g) "Department" means the Mississippi State Department of Health, Division of Emergency Medical Services;

(h) "Executive officer" shall mean the Executive Officer of the State Board of Health or his designated representative;

(i) "Invalid vehicle" shall mean any privately or publicly owned land or air vehicle which is maintained, operated and used only to transport persons routinely who are convalescent or otherwise nonambulatory and do not require the service of an emergency medical technician while in transit;

(j) "Special use EMS vehicle" means any privately or publicly owned land, water or air emergency vehicle used to support the provision of emergency medical services. These vehicles shall not be used routinely to transport patients;

(k) "Trauma care system" or "trauma system" means a formally organized arrangement of health care resources that has been designated by the department by which major trauma victims are triaged, transported to and treated at trauma care facilities;

(l) "Trauma care facility" or "trauma center" means a hospital located in the State of Mississippi or in a state contiguous to the State of Mississippi that has been designated by the department to perform specified trauma care services within a trauma care system pursuant to standards adopted by the department. Participation in this designation by each hospital is voluntary;

(m) "Trauma registry" means a collection of data on patients who receive hospital care for certain types of injuries. Such data are primarily designed to ensure quality trauma care and outcomes in individual institutions and trauma systems, but have the secondary purpose of providing useful data for the surveillance of injury morbidity and mortality.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2000.