Why LPs are not true Professionals

[Guest guest]

When the act creating Licensed Paramedics was passed, it did not amend the

Texas Occupations Code to include Paramedics. Thus, we are not recognized as

professionals by the State of Texas.

The Texas Licensed Paramedic only has a title which reflects that the person

has attained certain educational requirements, i.e. an Associate Degree or

above. There are no differences in scope of practice.

Incidentally, contrary to one poster's assertions, Texas EMTs and Paramedics

are not covered by the Texas Medical Practice Act. We are covered by Chapter

773 of the Texas Health and Safety Code. The Board of Medical Examiners has

no jurisdiction over us.

One reason that EMSAT is seeking to get legislation passed to create an EMS

Commission appointed by the Governor is to completely change the law so that

Paramedics are truly licensed as defined in the Occupations Code, that we have

our own Board that exists on the same level as the Board of Nurse Examiners,

and that we are no longer under the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Such a bill was filed last session but did not pass. Generally it takes two

to three attempts to get legislation such as this passed, since it takes a

long time to educate everyone about the purposes of the bill, refine the

language, and get it passed. It will be introduced again and again until it

does

pass.

When the Commission bill was filed, there was immediate shock, fear and

loathing generated in the nursing community, the Firefighters' Union, and the

hospital community because of one provision of the proposed law.

That provision made GETAC the advisory group for the new Commission, a

seemingly benign and rational provision. However, immediately some folks got

their

pants on fire and interpreted the language as destroying GETAC and " all the

good will and cooperation that we've built up over the years " and so forth. A

simple reading of the bill would have alleviated that fear.

But there was wailing, gnashing of teeth, massing of weaponry, and

preparation for battle by each of those three sectors plus some EMTs and

Paramedics who

couldn't understand why we need such a thing. They all proceeded to get

their feelings hurt and shed elephant sized tears because they were not asked to

kiss the bill (the kiss of death?) before it was filed, and in spite of being

invited to two stakeholders' meetings to work out differences, few showed

interest in actually working on something positive for EMS.

In fact, GETAC's existence is not affected by the proposed legislation; the

major change would be that addition to making recommendations to the Board of

State Health Services and the Commissioner of Health, it would make its

recommendations to the EMS Commission, which would be the rulemaking body for

EMS.

The REAL fight is over who controls trauma funds. The hospitals are

horrified that they might have to negotiate on a level playing field with a

Commission for allocation of the trauma funds, which they have to date

controlled and

taken 98% of for themselves.

The FF Union is afraid that an EMS Commission might be able to exert some

influence over fire based EMS, such as real quality control, and that scares the

fecal matter out of them.

The nurses cringe at the thought of Paramedics being on the same

professional, legal standing as they are, and so forth and so on.

So no, Paramedics are not " professionals " in Texas in the sense that

physicians, lawyers, nurses, and architects are. We need to make them so.

Since I am no longer a member of the EMSAT Board of Directors, my comments

are mine personally and exclusively, and they do not reflect either the position

of EMSAT or any other person or entity.

Gene Gandy.

E.(Gene) Gandy

POB 1651

Albany, TX 76430

wegandy1938@...