Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 81 - Emergency Medical Services System
Section 8120 - Prehospital emergency medical services physicians


(a) Scope of practice.--A prehospital EMS physician is a higher-level EMS provider than an advanced EMT. A prehospital EMS physician performs for an EMS agency basic and advanced EMS skills within the scope of practice of a physician under the act of December 20, 1985 (P.L.457, No.112), known as the Medical Practice Act of 1985, or the act of October 5, 1978 (P.L.1109, No.261), known as the Osteopathic Medical Practice Act, as applicable, or a successor act, as follows:
(1) As a member of the crew of an ambulance.
(2) As a member of a QRS to stabilize and improve a patient's condition in an out-of-hospital emergency.
(3) As a first-aid or safety officer, or in a similar capacity, as prescribed by regulation of the department.
(4) In another capacity authorized by regulation of the department.
(b) Certification.--The department shall certify as a prehospital EMS physician a physician who has:
(1) Successfully completed one or more of the following:
(i) An emergency medicine residency program that is accredited by a residency program accrediting body recognized by the State Board of Medicine or the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine.
(ii) The first year of an emergency medicine residency program that satisfies the requirements of subparagraph (i) and has successfully completed programs approved by the department in advanced cardiac life support, advanced trauma life support and advanced pediatric life support.
(iii) An anesthesia, family practice, internal medicine or general surgery residency program that is accepted by either the State Board of Medicine or the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine as providing the graduate medical training the board requires for issuance of a physician license without restriction and the successful completion of programs approved by the department in advanced cardiac life support, advanced trauma life support and advanced pediatric life support.
(2) A current certificate evidencing successful completion of a CPR course acceptable to the department.
(3) Passed an EMS skills practical examination approved by the department or served as a prehospital health professional physician prior to the effective date of this section.
(c) Biennial registration.--A prehospital EMS physician's certification is deemed registered when the certification is issued. The initial registration shall expire under section 8113(n) (relating to emergency medical services providers). Except for the initial registration period, a prehospital EMS physician shall register the prehospital EMS physician certification at two-year intervals by completing an application for biennial registration on a form or through an electronic process as prescribed by the department. The following shall apply:
(1) The department shall issue a biennial registration of a prehospital EMS physician certification to a prehospital EMS physician who meets all of the following:
(i) Has a current registration and applies for a new registration no later than 30 days before the current registration is to expire or within a lesser time period as the department may establish by regulation.
(ii) Has current registration of a physician license.
(iii) Successfully secures continuing education credits for prehospital EMS physician biennial registration as required by the department in continuing education programs approved by the department.
(2) A prehospital EMS physician whose registration of a prehospital EMS physician certification has expired shall qualify for a biennial registration of the certification as prescribed by regulation of the department.
(d) Transition for prehospital health professional physicians.--A physician who served as a prehospital health professional physician prior to the effective date of this section and who satisfies the certification requirements under subsection (b)(1) may serve as a prehospital EMS physician for 90 days after the effective date of this section without having secured a certification as a prehospital EMS physician.

Effective Date. Section 9(1) of Act 37 of 2009 provided that section 8120 shall take effect 180 days after the publication of the notice in section 7. The notice was published October 12, 2013, at 43 Pa.B. 6093.

Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes

Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes

Title 35 - HEALTH AND SAFETY

Chapter 81 - Emergency Medical Services System

Extra - Chapter Notes

Section 8101 - Short title of chapter

Section 8102 - Declaration of policy

Section 8103 - Definitions

Section 8104 - Emergency medical services system programs

Section 8105 - Duties of department

Section 8106 - Emergency medical services patient care reports

Section 8107 - Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation

Section 8107.1 - Accreditation of trauma centers

Section 8107.2 - Submission of list

Section 8107.3 - Funding

Section 8107.4 - Notification of trauma center closure

Section 8107.5 - Reporting

Section 8107.6 - Certification and financial report

Section 8108 - State Advisory Board

Section 8109 - Regional emergency medical services councils

Section 8111 - Comprehensive plan

Section 8112 - Contracts and grants

Section 8112.1 - Scholarships for recruitment, training and retention

Section 8113 - Emergency medical services providers

Section 8114 - Emergency medical responders

Section 8115 - Emergency medical technicians

Section 8116 - Advanced emergency medical technicians

Section 8117 - Paramedics

Section 8118 - Prehospital registered nurses

Section 8119 - Prehospital physician extenders

Section 8120 - Prehospital emergency medical services physicians

Section 8121 - Certification sanctions

Section 8122 - Emergency medical services vehicle operators

Section 8123 - Suspension of certification

Section 8124 - Emergency medical services instructors

Section 8125 - Medical director of emergency medical services agency

Section 8126 - Medical command physicians and facility medical directors

Section 8127 - Medical command facilities

Section 8128 - Receiving facilities

Section 8129 - Emergency medical services agencies

Section 8130 - Advanced life support ambulances

Section 8131 - Air ambulances

Section 8132 - Advanced life support squad vehicles

Section 8133 - Basic life support ambulances

Section 8134 - Basic life support squad vehicles

Section 8135 - Quick response services

Section 8136 - Special operations emergency medical services

Section 8137 - First aid and other services

Section 8138 - Other vehicles and services

Section 8139 - Stretcher and wheelchair vehicles

Section 8140 - Conditional temporary licenses

Section 8141 - Plans of correction

Section 8142 - Emergency medical services agency license sanctions

Section 8151 - Limitations on liability

Section 8152 - Peer review

Section 8153 - Support of emergency medical services

Section 8154 - Prohibited acts

Section 8155 - Surrender of license, accreditation or certification

Section 8156 - Penalties

Section 8157 - Adjudications and judicial review

Section 8158 - Injured police animals