N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 10 § 800.20

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 41, October 9, 2024

Section 800.20 - Course sponsors

(a) Approval of course sponsors.

(1) When applying for original approval or reapproval, every course sponsor shall file a completed application on a form provided by the department.

(2) Approval of a course sponsor shall be for no more than two years. Approvals shall expire on July 1. One half the approvals of sponsors conducting courses on the effective date of this Part shall expire on the next succeeding July 1 and the other half shall expire on the second succeeding July 1.

(3) Original and renewal sponsorship applications shall be reviewed by the appropriate regional emergency medical services council, which shall forward its recommendation to the department within 45 days of receiving the application. Renewal applications not reviewed by the appropriate regional emergency medical services councils within forty-five (45) days will proceed to the department without comment. If the regional council is a course sponsor, it shall consider only the capability of the sponsor to meet the requirements of this Part. If the regional council is not a course sponsor, it may also consider the size of the potential student pool and the impact of an additional sponsor on the ability of existing sponsors to sustain a student body of adequate size.

(4) The department, when making a determination with regard to original and renewal sponsorship applications, shall consider the capability of the sponsor to meet the requirements of this Part, the size of the potential student pool and the impact of an additional sponsor on the ability of existing sponsors to sustain a student body of adequate size.

(5) The application for approval shall include the names of all certified instructor coordinators and certified lab instructors who will be providing instructional services.

(b) Course planning. Each course sponsor shall on or before August 1 of each year, submit to the appropriate regional emergency medical services councils and the department a projected schedule of courses for the next calendar year, including the course type, tentative dates and locations, and proposed certified instructor coordinators.

(c) All course sponsors shall meet the following requirements:

(1) Administration. Course sponsors shall comply with the following administrative requirements:

(i) Submit all course paperwork as necessary including, but not limited to:

(a) course file applications for courses by the deadline specified by the department;

(b) student applications by the deadline specified by the department; and

(c) end of course paperwork by the end of course date.

(ii) The course sponsor shall not admit students who do not meet the requirements for certification in accordance with this Part.

(iii) Any course paperwork not submitted on time will have the end of course date delayed by at least one month.

(iv) The course sponsor shall certify to the department those students who have met the requirements of the current National Emergency Medical Services Education Standards (2021), as incorporated by reference in section 800.15(a)(1) of this Part.

(v) The course sponsor shall identify individuals that fill the roles of Course Sponsor Administrator, Paramedic Program Director (if applicable), Course Sponsor Liaison (optional), and CEO/Department Chair.

(a) One person cannot serve in more than one role unless prior approval from the department and should not be a regular occurrence.

(b) The Course Sponsor Administrator or Course Sponsor Liaison must possess current or prior experience as a Certified Instructor Coordinator at, or above, the level of course certification being taught unless otherwise approved by the department.

(2) Equipment and supplies. Supplies and equipment adequate for the provision of instruction shall be available consistent with the curriculum and sufficient for the number of students enrolled.

(3) Instructional faculty. Every department approved course shall have a Certified Instructor Coordinator in attendance unless approved by the department. The lab faculty of all courses shall have at least 50% as certified instructors unless otherwise approved by the department.

(4) Admission policies and procedures. Admission of students shall be made in accordance with clearly defined and published policies of the course sponsor, which shall be available to the department on request. Specific academic, health-related, and technical requirements for admission shall also be clearly defined and published. The standards and prerequisites for admission shall be made known to all individuals expressing an interest in enrollment.

(5) Curricula. A course sponsor offering a particular course must adhere to the minimum curriculum specified by the National Emergency Medical Services Education Standards (2021), as incorporated by reference in section 800.15(a)(1) of this Part.

(i) Any curriculum for each specified certification level must contain the following minimum course content areas:

(a) Certified First Responder (CFR):

(1) basic adult and pediatric patient assessment, including history taking, physical assessment, and determination of vital signs;

(2) basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR);

(3) basic airway management and oxygen therapy;

(4) basic hemorrhage control;

(5) manual stabilization of the spine;

(6) spinal immobolization, including application of a rigid extrication collar; and

(7) emergency childbirth.

(b) Emergency Medical Technician-Defibrillation (EMT-D). In addition to the requirements of clause (a) of this subparagraph:

(1) basic management of soft tissue injuries;

(2) basic management of suspected fractures;

(3) basic management of shock and use of medical anti-shock trousers;

(4) basic management of medical and traumatic emergencies, adult and pediatric;

(5) adult automated external defibrillation; and

(6) basic management of behavioral emergencies.

(c) Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate (EMT-I). In addition to the requirements of clauses (a) and (b) of this subparagraph:

(1) advanced airway management with endotracheal intubation and other definitive airways; and

(2) peripheral intravascular therapy.

(d) Emergency Medical Technician-Critical Care (EMT-CC). In addition to the requirements of clauses (a), (b) and (c) of this subparagraph:

(1) medication administration;

(2) fundamentals of electrocardiogram (EKG) rhythm interpretation and manual defibrillation;

(3) advanced management of life-threatening cardiovascular emergencies;

(4) synchronized cardioversion;

(5) advanced management of respiratory emergencies;

(6) advanced management of endocrine emergencies; and

(7) advanced management of anaphylaxis, poisoning, drug abuse and overdose.

(e) Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (EMT-P). In addition to the requirements of clauses (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this subparagraph:

(1) advanced electrocardiogram (EKG) rhythm interpretation;

(2) advanced management of cardiovascular emergencies;

(3) chest decompression;

(4) surgical airways;

(5) transcutaneous pacing;

(6) advanced management of central nervous system emergencies;

(7) advanced management of acute abdomen, genitourinary and reproductive system emergencies;

(8) advanced management of environmental emergencies;

(9) advanced management of geriatric emergencies;

(10) advanced management of pediatric emergencies;

(11) advanced management of obstetrical and gynecological (OB/GYN) emergencies;

(12) management of neonatal emergencies; and

(13) management of behavioral emergencies including pharmacological interventions.

(ii) The department shall maintain and provide for distribution of the approved model curriculum and any publication that directly relates to an approved emergency medical technician services training course curriculum. This material shall be available for public inspection and copying at the New York State Department of Health, Office of Regulatory Reform, Empire State Plaza, Corning Tower Building, Room 2415, Albany, NY 12237.

(iii) Use by course sponsors of the model curriculum developed by the New York State Emergency Medical Services Council (SEMSC) and approved by the commissioner or her/his designee shall not require further review or approval. All other proposed curricula shall be reviewed by the SEMSC for compliance with the minimum standards described in this paragraph, and its recommendation shall be provided to the commissioner or her/his designee for approval.

(6) Evaluation. Evaluation of students shall be conducted on a recurring basis and with sufficient frequency to provide the student, course medical director and certified instructor coordinator with valid and timely indicators of the student's progress toward and the achievement of the competencies and objectives stated in the curriculum.

(7) Identification. Students at clinical or internship sites shall be clearly identified by name and student status, using nameplate, uniform, or other apparent means to distinguish them from other personnel.

(8) Fair Operational Practices. Announcements and advertising shall accurately reflect the program offered. Student and faculty recruitment, student admission, and faculty employment practices shall be non-discriminatory with respect to race, color, creed, sex, age and national origin. The course sponsor shall have written policies which shall be approved by the department as being consistent with the curriculum, equitable in their treatment of students and in compliance with the requirements of this Part. Such policies shall be issued to all students at the first course session, or earlier, including each of the following subjects:

(i) course goals and objectives,

(ii) interim exam retesting,

(iii) attendance requirements and make-up procedure,

(iv) requirements regarding personal conduct and ethics,

(v) class communication and cancellation procedure,

(vi) progressive discipline, course termination/expulsion and appeal procedure,

(vii) social media and information technology (IT),

(viii) course completion requirements,

(ix) certification examination information, and

(x) other topics, subjects and policies as requested by the department.

(9) Recordkeeping.

(i) The course sponsor shall maintain, physically or electronically, for a period of at least five years, files which contain, but are not limited to, the following documentation on individual students. There shall be a system for accessing individual information.

(a) individual attendance record;

(b) signed student-course sponsor learning contract if applicable;

(c) interim examination results;

(d) practical skills evaluation sheets,

(e) clinical experience documentation and field internship experience documentation which show the student achieved the objectives of the clinical and field internship experiences and who evaluated the student's performance,

(f) ancillary course exams,

(g) all documentation relevant to the student's education and interactions with the course sponsor shall be producible upon request by the department, and

(h) other items as required by the department.

(ii) The course sponsor shall maintain, physically or electronically, on file for a period of at least five (5) years individual course files which shall contain, the following documentation:

(a) for State-funded courses, financial records showing all sources of funding and all expenditures for each course;

(b) a list of the names of each faculty member;

(c) the certification exam grades and other documentation received from the department pertaining to each individual course;

(d) a copy of each interim examination administered, or a record of where it can be found,

(e) a copy of the course application, schedule and course approval from the department, and

(f) copies of any other documents that are relative to the administration and documented record of the course shall be producible upon request by the department.

(iii) The course sponsor shall maintain the names, last known addresses, business telephone numbers, and qualifications of all faculty. This information shall be maintained on file for the duration of the faculty member's working association with the sponsor plus 5 years.

(10) Sponsor's Medical Director. Each course sponsor shall have a physician medical director, who shall be responsible for assuring the medical accuracy and medical appropriateness of the educational program and supervising all advanced life support course clinical and internship programs. The sponsor's medical director may delegate the medical direction of a specific course to another physician, provided that the department is notified in writing at least thirty days prior to the start of the course.

(11) Practical Skills Evaluations. The course sponsor shall follow the administrative procedures issued by the department for conducting the practical skills evaluations.

(12) The following requirements apply to course sponsors and accredited paramedic course sponsors:

(i) Clinical Resources. Clinical affiliations shall be established and confirmed in written affiliation agreements with institutions and agencies that provide clinical experience under appropriate medical direction and clinical supervision. Students shall have access to patients who present common problems encountered in the delivery of emergency care so that the students may meet the clinical objectives. Supervision in the clinical setting shall be provided by program instructors or hospital personnel, such as nurses or physicians, if they have been approved by the program to function in such roles. The ratio of instructors to students in the clinical facilities shall be no greater than 1:6.

(ii) Fair Operational Practices. Each sponsor shall have written policies which shall be approved by the department as being consistent with the curriculum, equitable in their treatment of students and in compliance with the requirements of this Part. Such policies shall be issued to all students at the first course session, or earlier, covering each of the following subjects:

(a) clinical experience requirements and objectives, and

(b) field internship experience requirements and objectives.

(13) Quality Assurance. Each course sponsor shall continuously work to improve the delivery of EMS education and shall:

(i) have records as specified by the department that the medical director have evaluated at least one course and participated in one education course review on content delivery, written evaluations, and best practices for EMS educational student learning experience. Such reviews and evaluations shall be conducted on an annual basis, at a minimum;

(ii) evaluate in the classroom environment each lead instructor and provide instructional feedback to the instructor, by a method approved by the department;

(iii) provide an opportunity to every student to complete an end of course student feedback survey, either electronically or on paper, by a method approved by the department;

(iv) provide an opportunity to every instructor and lab instructor to complete an end of course instructor feedback survey, either electronically or on paper, by a method approved by the department;

(v) complete a review of EMS educational delivery materials, including but not limited to, instructor feedback, student feedback, equipment evaluation, course delivery models, medical director feedback, previous improvement plans and develop a plan for continuous educational improvement. Such review shall be conducted on an annual basis, at a minimum;

(vi) provide all faculty opportunities, on an annual basis, for educational professional development; and

(vii) all course sponsor surveys, periodic reviews, and any written evaluations and/or recommendations by the medical director may be stored electronically, must be maintained for a period of five years, and provided to the department upon request.

(d) The following requirements apply to advanced life support course sponsors and accredited paramedic course sponsors:

(1) Clinical resources. Clinical affiliations shall be established and confirmed in written affiliation agreements with institutions and agencies that provide clinical experience under appropriate medical direction and clinical supervision. Students shall have access to patients who present common problems encountered in the delivery of advanced emergency care so that the students may meet the clinical objectives. Supervision in the clinical setting shall be provided by program instructors or hospital personnel, such as nurses or physicians, if they have been approved by the program to function in such roles. The ratio of instructors to students in the clinical facilities shall be no greater than 1:6.

(2) Fair operational practices. Each sponsor shall have written policies which shall be approved by the department as being consistent with the curriculum, equitable in their treatment of students and in compliance with the requirements of this Part. Such policies shall be issued to all students at the first course session, or earlier, covering each of the following subjects:

(i) clinical experience requirements and objectives; and

(ii) field internship experience requirements and objectives.

(3) Evaluation. The annual review of test instruments and evaluation methods shall be conducted by the sponsor's medical director and one or more certified instructor coordinators.

N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 10 § 800.20

Amended New York State Register June 5, 2024/Volume XLVI, Issue 23, eff. 6/5/2024