North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services

MINUTES

NORTH CAROLINA OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Compliance and Education Committee

Department of Health and Human Services

Division of Health Service Regulation

Office of Emergency Medical Services

Raleigh, North Carolina

November 12, 2013

10:00 a.m.

Members Present

Mr. Todd Baker

Mr. Terry Barber

Dr. Nicholas Benson

Ms. Carolyn Hughes

Dr. Elizabeth Kanof

Mr. Donnie Loftis

Ms. Lynn Norwood

Mr. Robert Poe

Dr. Edward St. Bernard

Dr. Douglas Swanson

Members Absent

The Honorable Dan Ingle

Mr. Stephen Taylor

Staff Members Present

Ms. Mallory Bass

Ms. Regina Godette-Crawford

Ms. Alesia Hester

Mr. Chuck Lewis

Mr. Todd Messer

Mr. Tom Mitchell

Ms. Kimberly Sides

Ms. Jessica Trembly

Dr. Tripp Winslow

Others Present

Mr. Scott Alter

Dr. Steven Barmach

Mr. Greg Chapman

Mr. Joel Faircloth

Mr. Alan Parnell

Ms. Debbie Poe

Mr. Chris Thompson

Mr. Craig Walker

Mr. Danny West

Purpose of the Meeting: The Committee met to receive updates on OEMS activities of the Education and Compliance Sections.

Actions of the Committee:

Mr. Robert Poe called the meeting to order at 10:02 a.m.

Motion was made by Dr. Benson, seconded by Ms. Hughes and approved that:

RESOLVED: The Compliance and Education Committee minutes of the May 14, 2013, meeting be approved.

Other Business:

Mr. Donnie Loftis from Gaston County was introduced as the newest Committee member.

Ms. Sides gave the OEMS Compliance Update. She provided an overview of tasks completed from June 1, 2013 – October 31, 2013:

614 individual’s criminal histories were processed and reviewed. These involved exam applicants and legal recognition applicants.
67 complaints were received.
37 cases were reviewed by the Case Review Panel.
21 individuals were interviewed by the EMS Disciplinary Committee.
13 Administrative Actions were taken against credential individuals.
1,053 applicants’ criminal histories were reviewed as part of their renewal process.
8 out of the 1,053 individuals were required to supply additional information prior to renewing their EMS credentials.

Mr. Messer gave an update on OEMS Education. He stated that the Education Unit is still working towards meeting the goals and objectives of the “Agenda for the Future”. This is being done through rule revisions.

Mr. Messer also reported that the North Carolina Association of EMS Educators has completed the Curriculum Mapping project. OEMS has copies of this and intends to place the mapping on the OEMS website once it is available.

Furthermore, Mr. Messer informed the Committee that OEMS and various stakeholders are working with the NC National Guard to develop a pilot Combat Medic to Paramedic Program. The goal is to have 20-40 participants in the program per year.

An update on CoAEMPS Accreditation was given. Out of the 100 teaching institutions, 17 have received a Letter of Review and six institutions are accredited.

Additionally, in an effort to create a more efficient process for Legal Recognition of credentials (reciprocity), the Office has created an online application and verification form. The projected implementation date for this new process is January 2014.

The 40th Annual EM Today Conference went well this year. Leland Fire and Rescue won the Paramedic Competition for the second year in a row. There were a total of 976 individuals registered for the conference and 917 actually attended.

Lastly, Mr. Messer provided the Committee with statistics for the Education Unit (for the previous two quarters of 2013).

21 Regional Exams were given with 3,392 individuals testing
8 Provider Exams were given with 118 individuals testing
6008 credentials were issued via Initial Application, Recertification, and Continuing Education.
156 Instructor Credentials were issued
567 applications were received for Legal Recognition of credentials
2 new teaching institutions were credentials
15 teaching institutions renewed their credentials
1 teaching institution moved to a higher level credential

Mr. Sides provided an update regarding Rules:

The Office of EMS is undertaking a revision of the EMS and Trauma Rules. The draft rules will be posted on the OEMS website within the next few days. From now until the February Council meeting, the rules will be open for comment and any necessary revisions will be made in order to create a final draft. The public is encouraged to send their written comments to Donnie Sides, Operations Manager for the Office of EMS. In order for him to have sufficient time to create the final draft and forward to the Council members for the February meeting, the cut-off date for comment will be Friday, January 17th. The earliest we can get the rules before the Medical Care Commission to begin formal rule-making is May 2014. The planned effective date for these rules will be January 1, 2015.

Dr. Benson asked Committee Members if they were familiar with the new CMS Requirement Exclusion—referencing the following:

“…no Federal health care program payment may be made for any items or services furnished 1) by an excluded person or (2) at the medical direction or on the prescription of an excluded person. The exclusion and the payment prohibition continue to apply to an individual even if he or she changes from one health care profession to another while excluded.This payment prohibition applies to all methods of Federal health care program payment, whether from itemized claims, cost reports, fee schedules, capitated payments, a prospective payment system or other bundled payment, or other payment system and applies even if the payment is made to a State agency or a person that is not excluded. For example, no payment may be made to a hospital for the items or services furnished by an excluded nurse to Federal health care program beneficiaries, even if the nurse’s services are not separately billed and are paid for as part of a Medicare diagnosis-related group payment received by the hospital. Also, the excluded nurse would be in violation of her exclusion for causing a claim to be submitted by the hospital for items or services the nurse furnished while excluded. ”

Source: Special Advisory Bulletin on the Effect of Exclusion from Participation in Federal Health Care Programs (May 2013)

Mr. Barber stated that he was familiar with this and that it is a local issue. It was discussed that each county/system/agency will have to work to ensure no member of their team is excluded thus making the county/system/agency ineligible for payment.

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:29 a.m.

Minutes submitted by Jessica Trembly.