§ 26:2K-16 — State Emergency Medical Services Medical Director, qualifications, responsibilities; mobile intensive care advisory council, purpose, roles.

10. a. (1) The Commissioner of Health shall appoint a State Emergency Medical Services Medical Director to the Office of Emergency Medical Services in the Department of Health. The State Emergency Medical Services Medical Director shall be a licensed physician in this State and board certified in emergency medicine with leadership experience in the medical oversight of emergency medical services, specifically in advanced life support, basic life support, critical care transport, and emergency medical services dispatching. In selecting the State Emergency Medical Services Medical Director, the Commissioner of Health shall give preference to a candidate who is board certified in emergency medical services. The State Emergency Medical Services Medical Director shall not be permitted to be employed as an agency EMS medical director while serving as State Emergency Medical Services Medical Director. (2) The State Emergency Medical Services Medical Director shall have primary responsibility for the oversight, regulation, and discipline related to clinical issues pertaining to the provision of emergency medical services in New Jersey, and the Director of Emergency Medical Services shall have primary responsibility for the oversight of non-clinical issues related to the provision of emergency medical services in New Jersey. The State Emergency Medical Services Medical Director shall additionally be responsible for aiding the commissioner in promulgating rules and regulations establishing the scope of practice for providers of emergency medical services, including new standards for basic and advanced life support based on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's National EMS Scope of Practice Model, the recommendations of the mobile intensive care advisory council, and standards established by the commissioner. b. The commissioner shall establish a State mobile intensive care advisory council, which shall: advise the department on all matters of advanced life support, the Emergency Medical Service Helicopter Response Program and emergency medical transportation; annually review advanced life support scope of practice; and provide recommendations directly to the commissioner for clinical updates. The council shall annually select a chairperson and a vice-chair from among its members. The chairperson shall coordinate the activities of the advisory council. Within 60 days following the effective date of P.L.2022, c.118 (C.26:2K-8.1 et al.), the council shall create new by-laws, and select a chair and vice-chair from among its members. In the event that the chair position is vacant, the vice-chair shall act as chair of the council until the chair position is no longer vacant. The chair shall appoint subcommittees to review and recommend policy on subjects including, but not limited to, advanced life support training programs, advanced life support patient care equipment, biomedical and telecommunications equipment and procedures, treatment protocols, and helicopter equipment and procedures, as well as other medical matters. L. 1984, c. 146, s. 10. Amended by L. 1986, c. 106, s. 5; 2022, c.118, s.11.