504.1 The medical director of a certified Emergency Medical Services Agency shall be responsible for maintaining the quality of the patient care provided by the Emergency Medical Services Agency and of ensuring that the Emergency Medical Services Agency engages in adequate quality assurance activities, including:

1. (a) Initial and continuing education training;
2. (b) The establishment and maintenance of policies and procedures covering the operations, training, and quality oversight of the agency;
3. (c) A requirement that the medical director or his or her designee review patient care reports in accordance with their quality assurance and improvement plan as outlined in § 556 of this chapter;
4. (d) A requirement that the medical director or his or her designee review field communications recordings in accordance with their quality assurance and improvement plan as outlined in § 556;
5. (e) A requirement that the medical director or his or her designee perform post-run interviews and case conferences in accordance with their quality assurance and improvement plan as outlined in § 556;
6. (f) Investigations of all complaints; and
7. (g) The establishment and enforcement of pre-hospital medical care and treatment protocols to be used by EMS providers working under their supervision as members of the Emergency Medical Services Agency.

504.2 The medical director shall serve as the medical authority for the certified Emergency Medical Services Agency and shall serve as the liaison of the Emergency Medical Services Agency with the medical community, medical facilities, and governmental entities.

504.3 The medical director shall have authority sufficient to oversee the quality of patient care for all EMS providers within the agency. The medical director:

1. (a) May withdraw, at his or her discretion, the authorization for personnel to perform any or all patient care procedures;
2. (b) Shall notify the District EMS Officer using the appropriate form of any provider whose authorization to render care has been withdrawn within seventy-two (72) hours of the withdrawal; and

(c) Shall also notify any other known EMS agency that sponsors the provider within seventy-two (72) hours of the withdrawal of authorization.

504.4 The medical director shall establish and maintain the agency's protocols and authorized drug list. The medical director shall sign and date the protocols and the authorized drug list.

504.5 An Emergency Medical Services Agency shall notify the Director of any change in the medical director of the agency no fewer than thirty (30) days prior to the change and no later than fifteen (15) days after naming a replacement.

504.6 An emergency or temporary change of the medical director shall be reported as follows:

(a) When an agency's medical director is unable to serve because of emergency circumstances, such as death or critical illness, the agency shall notify the Director within two (2) business days and shall further notify the Director upon naming a replacement; and

(b) When there is a temporary change of less than one (1) year, such as for a military commitment, the agency shall notify the Director no later than fifteen (15) days after naming a replacement.

SOURCE: Rules of the Board of Public Welfare issued July 28, 1950; as amended on September 29, 1950; and by Final Rulemaking published at 45 DCR 8542 (December 4, 1998); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 60 DCR 16569 (December 6, 2013).