By Dr. Cesar A. Aristeiguieta
Sacramento Bee (California)
Copyright 2007 McClatchy Newspapers, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
As an emergency physician and former emergency medical technician and police officer, I know first hand the importance of prompt, efficient and appropriate medical care for those in need. As director of the Emergency Medical Services Authority, I take any allegations of inappropriate actions by our licensees very seriously and have implemented improvements to our licensing and enforcement functions to assure the public receives the highest level of service possible. I will continue to work to improve our oversight to protect the health and safety of all Californians.
The overwhelming majority of paramedics — like other first responders and EMTs — are dedicated and highly trained public servants who place the best interest of patients above their own. The public should have confidence in their paramedics when faced with a medical emergency. Unfortunately, every profession has a small number of people who suffer from the disease of addiction or make poor choices, and the emergency services profession is not immune from this reality.
Since being appointed as EMSA director in August 2005, I have placed a strong emphasis on improving paramedic licensing and enforcement. My experience on the Medical Board of California allowed me to quickly identify areas of improvement in the program and begin making substantive enhancements.
In our effort to ensure rehabilitation from drug or alcohol problems among paramedics, EMSA has developed a fitness for duty evaluation process. These evaluations are performed by addiction medicine specialist physicians, at the expense of the licensee. Based on that evaluation, we structure a settlement agreement or final decision that assures public safety.
Under the leadership of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, EMSA’s enforcement division staff has more than doubled. This has enabled EMSA to perform more investigations and take immediate action when necessary. In 2006, EMSA opened 300 paramedic investigations, which represents only about 2 percent of all licensees. We take any violation seriously and any individual who breaks the law is dealt with expeditiously.
EMSA continues its efforts to further improve our licensing and disciplinary process and looks forward to working with the Legislature and the stakeholders on this effort. We want to assure the public they are receiving quality medical care from paramedics in California. We are proud of the work paramedics do every day to bring life-saving medical services to those in need.