Colorado--Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Assessment/Reassessment

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Assessment/Reassessment

COLORADO

PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS		PROGRAM AREA(S)
	Strong evaluation component		Emergency Medical Services

TYPE OF JURISDICTION
	State

TARGETED POPULATION(S)		JURISDICTION SIZE
	General Population		3,892,644

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In 1988, the Colorado Emergency Medical Services and Prevention Division (EMSP) of the Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) recognized certain weaknesses and missing components of the state's emergency medical services (EMS) delivery system. However, knowledge of Colorado's EMS deficiencies did not insure that those issues would receive the commitment, at the appropriate level of government, to guarantee necessary changes.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Assessment/Reassessment effort was to develop a sound, coordinated system of emergency medical care for victims of traumatic injury, particularly those injured in roadway crashes. Several objectives were instrumental in reaching the goal of the program:

Assess the existing EMS system
Develop an action plan for addressing weaknesses identified by the assessment
Reassess the EMS system after implementation of the action plan

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
In 1988, the CDPHE and EMSP joined with the Colorado Department of Transportation (C-DOT) in requesting the assistance of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to provide an assessment of Colorado's EMS delivery system. Colorado was the first state to participate in a new service provided by NHTSA's Technical Assessment Program: Assessment of Emergency Medical Services.

NHTSA's assessment revealed areas in which improvements to the Colorado EMS delivery system were recommended:

Create a statewide EMS plan
Establish statutory authority for and develop a trauma system
Establish a Medical Director position within the CDPHE to direct the Pre-hospital Care and Trauma programs
Develop EMS personnel recruitment and retention policies and procedures
Develop personnel training programs for volunteers
Remove fees for EMS certification
Establish a permanent, reliable EMS funding vehicle
Assess the viability of a statewide 911 program
Develop a volunteer-run EMS dispatch program
Develop a Public Information and Education Program
Establish statutory authority for creation of a state EMS lead agency
Create standardized medical control and direction
Standardize ambulance licensing

The EMSP Division developed an action plan and actively pursued execution of the NHTSA recommendations for improvement of Colorado's EMS delivery system for almost 10 years. Subsequently, when NHTSA developed an EMS Reassessment program, Colorado was one of the first agencies to request NHTSA perform a reassessment of their decade-long endeavor to develop a coordinated system of emergency medical care for Colorado's victims of traumatic injury.

RESULTS
In 1997, NHTSA conducted a reassessment of Colorado's EMS system, and reported that all original recommendations made during the 1988 assessment process have been achieved, with the exception of creating a state EMS agency and standardizing medical control, direction and ambulance licensing.

The original partners in the assessment process, (C-DOT, CDPHE, and EMSP) have learned from experience to anticipate positive results from NHTSA assessments, and are optimistic that the reassessment report will assist them in resolving outstanding issues.

FUNDING
	Section 402:	$16,300
CONTACT
	Michael Armacost, MA Program Director Pre-hospital Care Program EMSP Division, CDPHE 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South Denver, CO 80246-1530 (303) 692–2980

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Spring 1998