A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT directing the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a regional network of ems providers for certain PILOT counties.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Facility Services, shall develop a regional network of emergency medical services providers to serve initially Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, New Hanover, and Pender counties as pilot counties, with eventual statewide application.  The purpose of the network is to enable counties to share resources for providing emergency medical services to county residents such that improvements are made in response time, patient care, cost containment, and utilization of hospital billing systems for efficiency. The Division shall consult with the North Carolina Hospital Association, The Association of County Commissioners, the North Carolina Community College System, the University of North Carolina Health Care System, and emergency medical service providers in developing and implementing the initial program.  Not later than March 1, 2006, the Department of Health and Human Services shall report to the House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services, and the Fiscal Research Division on the development and implementation of the pilot program.
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2005.