OLYMPIA — Senate legislation passed unanimously today by the House will maintain levels of medical care in rural areas by allowing hospitals to hire highly trained, volunteer emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to provide certain medical care.
Having already passed unanimously in the Senate, SB 5940 now goes to Gov. Jay Inslee to be signed into law.
“By letting hospitals hire highly trained, local volunteer EMTs into permanent staff positions, we solve two problems in rural communities,” said Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (D-Lake Sutherland), the bill’s sponsor. “We give our hospitals an additional way to continue to amply meet the health needs of their communities, and we enable volunteer EMTs to use their skills in their local communities instead of having to leave to find paying jobs elsewhere.”
SB 5940 would create a medical assistant-EMT certification for EMTs with advanced EMT certification or paramedic certification, qualifying them to perform an expanded range of medical care under the supervision of a medical practitioner. The program would increase job opportunities for EMTs currently volunteering in rural areas while ensuring a stable workforce capable of providing dependable medical care.
Van De Wege’s legislation is supported by the Washington State Hospital Association.
