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EMS Medical Director Resources

If you are a physician who has undertaken the responsibility of providing medical direction to Emergency Medical Services in Wisconsin, this page provides information and resources to help you perform your tasks with skill and understanding.

Choose a section below to see the available information on a topic. You will find specific information related to pertinent statutes and administrative rules, sample protocols and guidelines, and much more.

Wisconsin Admin. Code § DHS 110. 495

Community Emergency Medical Services (CEMS)

A CEMS provider shall have a minimum of one medical director who meets all of the qualifications under sub. (1) and has all the responsibilities under sub. (2).

(1) Qualifications. Except as provided by sub. (3), a community emergency medical services medical director shall have all of the following:

(a) Current licensure as a physician.

(b) Familiarity or experience with emergency medical services and practitioners.

(c) Any additional requirements as prescribed by the department.

(2) Responsibilities. The CEMS medical director or medical direction team shall:

(a) Develop, review and approve in writing all patient care protocols that will be used by community emergency medical services practitioners delivering patient care under the operational plan.

(b) Ensure that physicians providing online medical consultation do so in a manner consistent with department−approved patient care protocols and guidelines.

(c) Establish, participate in, and ensure a continual quality improvement program as part of a patient care improvement process specific to the community emergency medical services.

(d) Approve, limit, suspend or revoke credentials as provided under s. DHS 110.53.

(e) Maintain liaison with the medical community, including hospitals, emergency departments, urgent care clinics, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers.

(f) Work with regional, state and local authorities to ensure that standards, needs and requirements are met.

(g) Maintain current knowledge and skills appropriate for a community emergency medical services medical director/team through continuing education.

(h) Approve, direct, and assist in providing training activities that assure community emergency medical services practitioners are competent to provide safe and efficient patient care, based on the department approved patient care protocols/guidelines.

(3) Medical Direction Teams

A medical direction team may be used in lieu of a medical director so long as one member of the team meets the qualifications and responsibilities described undersub. (1) and (2). If the CEMS provider using a medical direction team is also licensed to provide other EMS education or patient services, a CEMS medical direction team shall include the EMS service medical director.

Operational plan submission information

View operational plan forms.

CEMS education information

Wisconsin Stat. § 256.21 (3)

Training program. The department shall, after consulting the board, approve training programs for community emergency medical services practitioners that include clinical experience, that provide flexibility in addressing local service needs, and that meet any other criteria established by the department.

Wisconsin Admin Code ch. DHS § 110.49(1)(f) requires a “Successful completion of the department's service medical director course or equivalent as determined by the department for any service medical director who is not board certified as specified in par. (b).”

The following course can be used to satisfy this requirement:

Foundations of Medical Oversight Course through the National Association of EMS Physicians

Note: The EMS section is currently developing a Wisconsin specific course to satisfy DHS 110.49(1)(f).

Glossary

 
Last revised November 8, 2024