Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023)
Title 20 - PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE (§§ 20-2-101 — 20-86-113)
Subtitle 2 - HEALTH AND SAFETY (§§ 20-6-101 — 20-38-113)
Chapter 13 - EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (§§ 20-13-101 — 20-13-1805)
Subchapter 16 - COMMUNITY PARAMEDICS (§§ 20-13-1601 — 20-13-1603)
Section 20-13-1602 - Community paramedics - Licensure - Services

• (a) To be eligible for licensure by the Department of Health under the Division of Emergency Medical Services as a community paramedic, an individual shall:
  • (1) Be currently licensed as a paramedic;
  • (2) Have two (2) years of full-time service as a paramedic;
  • (3) Be actively employed by a licensed paramedic ambulance service; and
  • (4) Have successfully completed a community paramedic training program from an accredited college or university approved by the Department of Health under the Division of Emergency Services.

• (b) The training program for the community paramedic shall consist of a minimum of one hundred sixty (160) hours of classroom and clinical education as follows:
  • (1) Clinical experience that is provided under the supervision of a community paramedic service medical director, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, or home health nurse; and
  • (2) Areas of clinical experience, including at a minimum:
    • (A) Social determinants of health;
    • (B) Home health services;
    • (C) Hospital case management; and
    • (D) Public health agencies services.

• (c) A community paramedic may provide services as directed by a patient care plan after the plan has been developed or approved, or both, by the patient's physician in conjunction with the community paramedic service's medical director.

• (d) An individual is an eligible patient for community paramedic services if the individual has been identified by the individual's treating physician as an individual for whom community paramedic services would likely:
  • (1) Prevent admission to or allow discharge from a nursing facility; or
  • (2) Prevent readmission to a hospital or nursing home.

• (e) Community paramedic services are limited to:
  • (1) Coordination of community services;
  • (2) Chronic disease monitoring and education;
  • (3) Health assessment;
  • (4) Hospital discharge follow-up care;
  • (5) Laboratory specimen collection; and
  • (6) Medication compliance.

• (f) For purposes of relicensure, a community paramedic shall:
  • (1) Complete an additional fifteen (15) hours of training beyond the relicensure requirements as a paramedic; and
  • (2) Be active in performing the skills of a community paramedic.

Amended by Act 2023, No. 54,§ 1, eff. 8/1/2023.

Added by Act 2015, No. 685,§ 2, eff. 7/22/2015.