Welcome to the Bureau of Emergency Medical Oversight
This bureau includes the Sections of Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program,
Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Injury Prevention Program (IPP), and Trauma. These programs create a continuum of care model with multiple linkages, statutory responsibility and mutual quality focus. Internal and
external
program stakeholders and partners are all part of a cohesive health care and injury prevention community.
The Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program's mission is to provide all eligible residents who sustain a traumatic brain or spinal cord injury the opportunity
to obtain the necessary services that will enable them to return to an appropriate level of functioning in their community. Funding for the program is
through traffic-related fines, temporary license tags, motorcycle specialty plates and general revenue.
The Brain and Spinal Cord Program has a Central Registry as mandated by ยง 381.74Florida Statutes . Florida law requires every public health agency, private health
agency, public social agency, and attending physician must report to the registry within five days of identification any person who has a moderate to
severe brain or spinal cord injury.
The program provides case management services to program eligible individuals to coordinate all available federal, state, third party and community resources. Services that may be provided through the Brain and
Spinal Cord Injury Program, if funding is available, include: physical therapy; occupational therapy; cognitive/speech therapy; transitional living services; durable medical equipment; assistive technology; home and
vehicle modifications; and long-term community-based supports through the TBI/SCI Home and Community-Based Medicaid Waiver, contractual and community partners. The Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program must be the payor of
last resort for services provided.
The EMS Program is responsible for the statewide regulation of emergency medical technicians (EMTs), paramedics, EMT, paramedic training programs, 911
Public Safety Telecommunicators (911 PSTs) and ambulance services and their vehicles. In concert with the State Emergency Medical Services Advisory
Council, the program establishes and reviews the Florida EMS State Strategic Plan to provide new strategies to improve emergency medical services
throughout the state. The EMS Grant Program distributes funds from the EMS Trust Fund to improve and expand emergency medical services through county,
matching, and rural grants. The EMS Data Program collects and analyzes data from the EMS service providers to measure the effectiveness of services.
Ten major goals for supporting and strengthening the EMS system in Florida are included in the Emergency Medical Services 2012-2014, Florida's
2012-2014 Florida's Emergency Medical Service Strategic Plan
In 2003, Injury Prevention (IP) was established to raise the level of awareness of the injury burden in Florida and to establish injury as a priority
within the Department of Health (DOH).
In 2004, the Florida legislature recognized the need for a comprehensive statewide injury prevention program to
support state and community health systems. Toward that end, in 2004, Section 401.243, Florida Statutes, was created and provides that DOH shall establish
an injury prevention program with responsibility for the statewide coordination and expansion of injury prevention activities. The duties may include:
data collection, surveillance, education, and the promotion of interventions. In addition, DOH may: (1) provide communities, county health departments and
other state agencies with expertise and guidance in injury prevention, (2) seek, receive, and expend funds received from grants, donations, or
contributions from public or private sources for program purposes, (3) develop and revise as necessary, a comprehensive state plan for injury prevention,
and (4) adopt rules governing the implementation of grant programs.
The DOH has developed a statewide injury prevention plan to serve as a road map in carrying out its duties and responsibilities.
2009-2013 Florida Injury Prevention Strategic Plan
Trauma is the entity within the Division of Emergency Preparedness and Community Support that has primary responsibility for the administration and the
implementation of all matters involving trauma care within the state. This authority is found in Chapter 395, Part II, Florida Statutes (F.S.), and
Rule 64J-2, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.). These tasks include: planning, monitoring, implementation and evaluation of trauma center standards,
site surveys, application processes, trauma agencies development and operation, state trauma system plan, quarterly and
annual reports, state trauma
registry, coordinate research grants, trauma disaster planning, injury prevention programs and research efforts of the trauma centers as well the End of Life Program by the disbursement of the Do Not Resuscitate
Order Form.
Trauma also serves as the administrator for the disbursement of revenue that was designed by the Florida Legislature for payment to Florida's 22
verified trauma centers to ensure the continued accessibility and availability of trauma services (s. 395.4036, F.S.) This revenue is generated through
fines for "red light running" violations, challenging a red light ticket and losing in court, speeding in an enhanced speed zone area and speeding
multiple times more than 30 mph over the speed limit. Since the inception of the red light running and other trauma center funding legislation, the Office
of Trauma has disbursed over $30 million to Florida's verified trauma centers.
Trauma staff is dedicated towards facilitating and ensuring that the citizens and visitors of Florida receive access to quality and timely trauma care.
Trauma functions according to the goals included in the 2011-2015 Florida's Trauma System Strategic Plan
