(213) 240-8101
May 6, 1999
Honorable Board of Supervisors
County of Los Angeles
383 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, California 90012
Dear Supervisors:
(All Districts) (3 Votes)
IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOUR BOARD:
Approve and instruct the Director of Health Services, or his designee, to implement the objectives and short-range and long-range plans contained in the attached Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Plan, and to forward it to the State of California Emergency Medical Services Authority.
The Department of Health Services (DHS) is recommending approval of the attached Los Angeles County EMS Plan to set overall goals for EMS system planning and development in Los Angeles County.
The State of California requires each county's local EMS Agency to submit an EMS Plan to the State EMS Authority. The recommended EMS Plan is essentially an update of the original EMS Plan approved by the Board in 1995.
In Los Angeles County, the local EMS Agency is DHS. As the lead agency in Los Angeles County, DHS will coordinate implementation of the EMS Plan with the local EMS community to better address healthcare issues affecting EMS today, e.g., the movement of medical delivery to managed care, severe public funding shortages, governance and medical control, and EMS systemwide interdependency.
Honorable Board of Supervisors
May 6, 1999
Page 2
Approval of this action will not result in any additional net County cost. The EMS Plan is being implemented within existing DHS resources.
Funding is included in the proposed DHS Budget for Fiscal Year 1999-2000.
State Health & Safety Code Section 1797.254 requires each county's local EMS Agency to develop and submit an EMS Plan to the State EMS Authority.
On October 17, 1995, the Board approved the 1994 EMS Plan ("Base Plan") for Los Angeles County. The recommended EMS Plan is essentially an update of the Base Plan, reflecting accomplished objectives and new issues being addressed, and based on 1997 Los Angeles County EMS data as requested by the State EMS Authority.
The EMS Plan: 1) will be used as a short-range or work plan and as a long-range or strategic plan; 2) conforms with State guidelines; 3) addresses local needs; and, 4) was developed over a one-year period, with input from the local EMS community.
The EMS Plan includes: a combination of narrative descriptions of the local system's compliance with the State's "EMS Systems Standards and Guidelines"; specific numbers describing the local system's resources and operations; and, directories identifying specific resources available within the local system.
On March 17, 1999, the County's EMS Commission endorsed the recommended EMS Plan without substantive changes.
Attachment A provides additional information.
Not applicable.
The EMS Plan is part of a continuous planning and implementation process, which will not adversely impact employees or services.
Honorable Board of Supervisors
May 6, 1999
Page 3
When approved, this Department requires three signed copies of the Board's action.
Respectfully submitted,
Mark Finucane
Director of Health Services
MF:ds
Attachments
c: Chief Administrative Officer
County Counsel
Executive Officer, Board of Supervisors
Emergency Medical Services Commission
State of California Emergency Medical Services Authority
BLETAHE7.DS
04/21/99
ATTACHMENT A
SUMMARY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS) PLAN
1. Type of Service:
Emergency medical services for Los Angeles County, administered and coordinated by the Local EMS Agency which is the Department of Health Services (DHS).
2. Local EMS Agency State EMS Authority
5555 Ferguson, Suite #220 1930 9th Street, Suite 100
Commerce, California 90022 Sacramento, California 95814
Attention: Virginia P. Hastings, Director Attention: Richard E. Watson, Interim Director
Telephone: (323) 890-7545 Telephone: (916) 322-4336
3. Financial Information:
No additional County cost. The EMS Plan is being implemented within existing DHS resources. Funding is included in the proposed DHS Budget for Fiscal Year 1999-2000.
4. Geographic Area To Be Served:
Countywide.
5. Accountable for Program Monitoring:
Local EMS Agency.
6. Approvals:
Local EMS Agency: Virginia P. Hastings, Director
Contracts and Grants Division: John H. Ricks, Chief
County Counsel (approved as to use): Daniel D. Mikesell, Jr., Principal Deputy County Counsel