2012 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes
Title 35 - HEALTH AND SAFETY
Chapter 81 - Emergency Medical Services System
Section 8102 - Declaration of policy

     § 8102.  Declaration of policy.
        The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
            (1)  Emergency medical services are an essential public
        service and frequently the health care safety net for many
        Commonwealth residents.
            (2)  It is in the public interest to assure that there
        are high quality and coordinated emergency and urgent medical
        services readily available to the residents of this
        Commonwealth to prevent premature death and reduce suffering
        and disability which arise from severe illness and injury.
            (3)  The public interest under paragraph (2) is best
        achieved through a regulated and coordinated emergency
        medical services system.
            (4)  Transportation of both emergency and nonemergency
        patients is an integral part of the health care delivery
        system in this Commonwealth, and it is in the public interest
        that the emergency medical services system serve all persons
        in this Commonwealth who:
                (i)  require medical care to address illness or
            injury;
                (ii)  need transportation to a hospital or other
            health care facility to receive that care; and
                (iii)  require medical assessment, monitoring,
            assistance, treatment or observation during
            transportation.
            (5)  It serves the public interest if the emergency
        medical services system is able to quickly adapt and evolve
        to meet the needs of the residents of this Commonwealth for
        emergency and urgent medical care and to reduce their illness
        and injury risks.
            (6)  It serves the public interest if the emergency
        medical services system provides community-based health
        promotion services that are integrated with the overall
        health care system.
            (7)  Emergency medical services should be acknowledged,
        promoted and supported as an essential public service.
            (8)  This chapter shall be liberally construed to
        establish and maintain an effective and efficient emergency
        medical services system which is accessible on a uniform
        basis to residents of this Commonwealth and to visitors to
        this Commonwealth.
            (9)  Residents of this Commonwealth and visitors to this
        Commonwealth should have prompt and unimpeded access to
        urgent and emergency medical care throughout this
        Commonwealth.
            (10)  The Department of Health should continually assess
        and, as needed, revise the functions of emergency medical
        services agencies and providers and other components of the
        emergency medical services system that it regulates under
        this chapter to:
                (i)  improve the quality of emergency medical
            services provided in this Commonwealth;
                (ii)  have the emergency medical services system
            adapt to changing needs of the residents of this
            Commonwealth; and
                (iii)  promote the recruitment and retention of
            persons willing and qualified to serve as emergency
            medical services providers in this Commonwealth.
            (11)  The emergency medical services system should be
        fully integrated with the overall health care system, and in
        particular with the public health system, to identify, modify
        and manage illness and injury and illness and injury risks.