HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 08-20-1996 - IX-E 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Action Agenda
Item No
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: August 20, 1996
SUBJECT: EMS Medical Director Agreement
DEPARTMENT: Emergency Management PUBLIC HEARING: YES: NO: x
BUDGET AMENDMENT: YES: NO: x
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Agreement Nick Waters, ext 3030
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough -732-8181
Chapel Hill -968-4501
Durham -688-7331
Mebane -227-2031
PURPOSE:. To consider approving an agreement between Orange County and UNC Hospitals
concerning medical direction of Orange County's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program.
BACKGROUND: Orange County's EMS program provides service at the Advanced Life Support
(ALS) level. Under State regulations, a County providing that level of service must have the program
under the supervision of a medical director at an affiliated hospital. Since its inception, the Orange
County program has received medical direction through UNC Hospitals, first through Dr. Tom
Griggs, and more recently,through the current medical director, Dr. Greg Mears.
As Orange County prepares to change its system of EMS provision in October, it becomes
increasingly important that there be clear and more formal delineation of the roles and responsibilities
of both the County and the medical director. In that regard,the attached proposed agreement between
Orange County and UNC Hospitals would help the County maintain appropriate control over
treatment,training,procedures, and associated costs of the EMS system. Under the terms of this
agreement, Orange County would pay UNC Hospitals $10,000 per year for its services in providing
medical direction to the EMS program. Funds for this purpose are already included in the 1996-97
operating budget of the Emergency Management Department.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the agreement and
authorize the Chair to sign, subject to final review by the County Attorney.
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ORANGE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ,
The Medical Director will:
1) Provide medical direction for the emergency medical services program of Orange County.
2) Develop, review, and periodically update medical treatment protocols in conjunction with the Director of
Emergency Management or designee.
3) Provide medical treatment supervision of personnel by randomly responding to EMS calls and observing the
approach, demeanor,relationships, and medical treatment provided to the victim and others by all responding
personnel including First Responders, Fire,Law Enforcement, Rescue,and EMS.
4) Facilitate a program of total quality management of patients addressing compliance to protocol, standards of
care,technician proficieny, appropriate patient management,effectiveness of treatments and protocols,
evaluation for positive patient outcomes and other components of the EMS system that occur from access
through 9-1-1 to delivery through the Emergency Department. Provide recommendations to the Director of
Emergency Managment of designee for systematic changes or considerations.
5) Serve as the contact person for the sponsor hospital and receive complaints, comments, or questions from the
hospital's medical staff about out-of-hospital emergency medical issues and consult with the Director of
Emergency Management of designee for resolution.
6) Serve on the Orange County Emergency Medical Services Council.
7) Assist the Medical Affairs Officer in general medical issues for HazMat, Fire, Rescue, Law Enforcement,
and others in providing coverage for special events,planning for mass casualty, and other activities outside the
routine EMS tasks.
8) Serve as the medical director for the Emergency Medical Dispatch program and perform the same functions
for Communications as noted in numbers 2, 3, and 4.
9) Assist with maintaining and supporting the EMS database for Orange County Emergency Management to
include updating forms and programs as needed, develop reports and provide analytical interpretation of data.
10)Provide weekly administrative time at the Department of Emergency Management for consultation and
review of medical issues with the Director.
11) Other duties as may be requested and necessary in assuring a quality EMS program for Orange County.
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STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
ORANGE COUNTY
THIS CONTRACT dated , 1996, between The
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (the "University") ,
and the County of Orange (the "County" ) for provision of an EMS
Medical Director to Orange County.
WITNESSETH
Whereas, the County and the University have historically
cooperated and worked jointly on matters of mutual concern and
interest; and
Whereas, the County operates and maintains a Department of
Emergency Management which, as one of its functions, provides
emergency medical care to citizens of the County; and
Whereas, the County wishes to have associated with this
program a trained physician specializing in emergency medicine to
provide guidance and support; and
Whereas, the University, through its Department of Emergency
Medicine, wishes to provide this service for the County; and
Whereas, performance of the activities described herein is
consistent with the University's goals of research, teaching,
education and public service.
NOW THEREFOR, in consideration of the premises and the
mutual covenants and conditions set forth below, the County and
the University agree as follows:
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1. The University agrees to provide a physician from the
Department of Emergency Medicine to serve as EMS Medical Director
to the County (hereafter "the Medical Director" ) .
2 . The duties of the Medical Director shall include the
following:
a. Provide medical direction for the emergency
medical services program of Orange County.
b. Develop, review, and periodically update medical
treatment protocols in conjunction with the County Director of
Emergency Management or designee (hereafter "the Director" ) .
C. Provide medical treatment supervision of personnel
by randomly responding to EMS calls and observing the approach,
demeanor, relationships, and medical treatment provided to the
patient and others by all responding personnel including, First
Responders, Fire, Law Enforcement, Rescue, and EMS.
d. Facilitate a program of total quality management
of patients addressing compliance to protocol, standards of care,
technician proficiency, appropriate patient management,
effectiveness of treatments and protocols, evaluation for
positive patient outcomes and other components of the EMS system
that occur from access through 911 to delivery through the
Emergency Department at the University of North Carolina
Hospitals. Provide ongoing recommendations to the Director of
system needs and changes necessary to implement and operate the
patient total quality management program.
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e. Serve as the contact person for the sponsor
hospital and receive complaints, comments, or questions from the
hospital's medical staff about out-of-hospital emergency medical
issues. and consult with the Director for resolution.
f. Serve on the Orange County Medical Services
Council.
g. Assist the Medical Affairs . Officers for the
County's Department of Emergency Management in general medical
issues for HazMat, Fire, Rescue, Law Enforcement, and others in
providing coverage for special events, planning for mass
casualty, and other activities outside the routine EMS tasks.
h. Serve as the medical director for the Emergency
Medical Dispatch program and perform the same functions for
Communications as noted in subparagraphs b, c and d.
i. Assist with maintaining and supporting the EMS
database for Orange County Emergency Management to include
updating forms and programs as needed, developing reports and
providing analytical interpretation of data.
j . Provide weekly administrative time at the
Department of Emergency Management for consultation and review of
medical issues with the Director.
k. Relating to all patients and staff of the County
in a professional manner.
1. Providing medical consultation in accord with
accepted methods and procedures.
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M. Other duties as may be requested and necessary in
assuring a quality EMS program for Orange County.
3. The department head of the University's Department of
Emergency Medicine, with the advice and consent of the Director,
shall designate the physician who will serve as the Medical
Director and the name of any physician or physicians who will
provide services under this Contract as back-up to the person
named as the Medical Director in the event the Medical Director
is unavailable. The names of those designated shall, upon
designation, be provided to the Director.
a. Any change in the persons designated will be
agreed upon by the head of the University's Department of
Emergency Medicine and the Director.
b. The University and the County shall indicate their
agreement to the designation of the Medical Director and any
other physicians involved as described above by signing the
"Designation of Medical Director" attachment to this Contract.
4. In the event that the Medical Director and back-up
physicians become unwilling or unable to perform the duties
required by this Contract, the University shall, with the advice
and consent of the Director, designate replacements. If
agreement on designations is not achieved, then this Contract
shall terminate.-
5. The University shall be responsible for ensuring that
any physicians providing services under this Contract maintain
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current registration and licensure and shall provide evidence of
such to the County upon request.
6 . The County shall compensate the University for the
services provided pursuant to this Contract in the amount of Ten
Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) per year for services provided from
July 1 of each year through June 30 of the next year. Payment
shall be made on or about July 1, 1996 and on or about July 1 of
each year thereafter.
7 . The County and the University shall each designate one
person as its official contact person for purposes of
implementing and administering this Contract.
B. Nothing contained herein is intended to alter or
abridge the employment relationship between the University and
its employees or the County and its employees.
9 . Any University staff providing services under this
Contract to the County shall be provided with the University's
medical and hospitalization benefits and insurance and be covered
by Workers ' Compensation insurance or self insurance.
10. This Contract will be reviewed annually no later than
June 15 for renewal effective the following July 1, and may be
renewed, modified, or amended at that time, or any time, upon the
mutual written agreement of the parties.
11. This Contract may be terminated as provided in
paragraph 4 and, without the fault of either party, at any time
by either party giving 90 days notice to the other party in
writing. If either party defaults in its obligations and does
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not cure such default within ten ( 10) days of receipt of notice
of such default, the non-defaulting party may immediately
terminate the Contract. The University shall refund a prorata
portion of the compensation received by it for any portion of a
Contract year in the event of a termination of this Contract not
the result of a default by the County.
12 . The University shall be responsible for the negligence
of its employees and agents to the extent of the North. Carolina
Tort Claims Act. Further, the University, in consultation as to
amount with the County, shall provide adequate professional
liability insurance for the University personnel who provide the
services described in this Contract. The insurance limits will
be stated in a Certificate of Insurance or other written evidence
of insurance submitted to the County at the time the Contract is
commenced.
14. No transfer or assumption of liability for the acts of
the employees or agents of either party is intended by the
parties to this Contract-
15. The University and the County hereby agree that, in
their educational and/or employment practices, each will comply
with such non-discrimination laws as may be applicable to them in
the performance of this Contract.
16. This Contract contains the entire understanding of the
parties and shall not be altered, amended, or modified, except by
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an agreement in writing executed by the duly authorized officials
of both parties .
17 . The laws of North Carolina shall govern the validity
and interpretation of the provisions, terms, and conditions of
the Contract.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly and validly
authorized and executed this Contract of this day of
1996.
COUNTY OF ORANGE
Moses Carey, Jr. , Chair
ATTEST:
Beverly A. Blythe, Clerk to
the Board of Commissioners
Approved as to form:
County Attorney
"This instrument has been preaudited in the manner required by
the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act. "
Orange County Finance Director
FOR AND ON BEHALF OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
AT CHAPEL HILL
Wayne R. Jones, Vice Chancellor
Business and Finance
lsg-5\meddir.con
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Designation of Medical Director
Attachment to Contract between the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of North Carolina
Hospitals and the County of Orange.
The following physicians are designated by the 'Department of
Emergency Medicine to fulfill the terms of the attached contract:
Medical Director
Back-up Physician
Back-up Physician
Copies of current registration and licensure for these
physicians are attached.
Signed:
Judy Tintinalli, Department Head Date
Agreed:
Nick Waters, Director Date
Department of Emergency Management