About Us

  
 

 Home

 About Us

 Council Information

 Local EMS Councils

 Training & Equipment

 Clinical Training Calendars

 Injury Prevention (IPPE)

 Links

 Contact Us

 

  • Setting Higher Standards of Care; Achieving Higher Standards of Caring

The "Regional Council" was created by the Washington State Legislature, and is empowered by legislative authority (RCW 70.168.010‑70.168.900) and the Department of Health Administrative Code (WAC 246-976) to plan, develop, implement, administer, and oversee the EMS and trauma care system in the six counties that comprise the Southwest Region.  The Regional Council serves Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Southern Pacific, Skamania, and Wahkiakum Counties.

The Department of Health (DOH), Office of Emergency Medical and Trauma Prevention, provides funding for the Regional Council to carry out its legislative mandate.  The Council works with DOH, six county medical program directors (MPDs), five designated trauma facilities, six 9‑1‑1 centers, 49 licensed EMS agencies, and over 1300 certified first responders, emergency medical dispatchers, EMTs, paramedics, nurses, physicians, allied health professional, and numerous other public, private, and non‑profit organizations to carry out its mission.

  • Roles and Responsibilities of the Regional Council

The Regional Council is responsible for many activities.  One of the major functions of the Regional council is to develop and submit to DOH a biennial EMS & Trauma Care Plan.  The Council submitted their first plan in 1991.  Besides developing and implementing the Regional Plan, the Council is responsible for:

  • Assessing and analyzing current and future regional EMS and trauma care needs.

  • Identifying personnel, agencies, facilities, equipment, training, and education needed to meet regional and local needs.

  • Identifying specific activities necessary to meet statewide standards and patient care outcomes and developing a plan of implementation for regional compliance.

  • Establishing and reviewing agreements with regional providers necessary for patient transfer.

  • Developing a regional budget.

  • Establishing the number and level of health care facilities to be designated, which are consistent with state standards and based upon availability of resources and distribution of trauma within the Region.

  • Identifying the need for an recommending distribution and level of care of pre-hospital services to assure adequate availability and to avoid inefficient duplication and lack of coordination of pre-hospital services within the Region; and

  • Conducting other specific elements defined by the Department of Health.

The Regional Council has other functions, including:

  • Advising DOH on matters relating to the delivery of emergency medical services and trauma care within the Region.

  • Receiving and distributing grant funding to EMS agencies and other related organizations to help develop and improve the EMS and trauma care system in the Region; and

The Regional Council also provides comment on whether or not application for verification is consistent with the State approved Regional EMS & Trauma Care Plan.  In its capacity, the Regional Council receives notice from DOH when a service is verified or when DOH finds that a pre-hospital provider is found to be substantially out of compliance with applicable standards.  Non-compliance by a pre-hospital provider may result in the Region being out of compliance with its regional plan.  If this occurs, the Council - with the assistance of the Office of EMS and Trauma Prevention - is required to undertake such steps necessary to assure the Region is brought back into compliance within a reasonable amount of time.

  • Services Provided by the Regional Council

While the Council has a quasi-policy making responsibility, and the authority to adopt standards greater than the State's minimum standards, the Council generally functions using the Quality Improvement (QI) model of system's administration.  The QI model seeks not to find fault with individuals by placing blame, but rather, it allows us to work to identify the problems in the system and then to work to correct them.  The council seeks to work with agencies in the Region to accomplish the goals and objectives specified in the Regional EMS and Trauma System Plan.  As such, the council offers the following services:

  • Systems Development and Support

  • Planning and Implementation

  • Training and Education (for licensed personnel only)

  • Injury Prevention and Public Education Programs

  • Medical Program Director Support

  • Advisory Organization to the Department of Health

  • Specialized EMS Seminar Training

  • Quality Assessment and Improvement Program Support

  • Collection of Regional Pre-hospital Data

  • Data Analysis and Research

  • Facilitation of County or Local EMS and Health Care Organizations

  • County EMS Council Support

  • Grants to Improve and Enhance the EMS and Trauma Care System

  • Advanced Life Support Course Support

  • Equipment and Video Tape Lending Library

  • College Intern Program

  • Dispatch related training & EMD implementation

The Regional Council is a member of the State Regional Advisory Committee (RAC), which advises DOH and the Governor's Steering Committee on matters related to multi-regions.