Emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and cardiac technicians may render any service which they are authorized to render under Code Sections 31-11-53, 31-11-54, and 31-11-55, respectively, in any hospital. Such services shall not be rendered in lieu of the services of a physician or a registered professional nurse and shall only be rendered in a hospital at the discretion of and after the prior approval by the hospital governing authority on the order of a physician or, if a physician or registered professional nurse is present, at the direction of a physician or registered professional nurse, provided that such hospital has a currently valid permit or conditional permit issued by the department pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 7 of this title. The provisions of this Code section are cumulative and are not intended to limit the rendering of services by emergency medical technicians, cardiac technicians, and paramedics in any area in which they are already authorized to render such services.
(Code 1933, § 88-3112.11, enacted by Ga. L. 1979, p. 1017, § 1; Ga. L. 1983, p. 694, § 1; Ga. L. 1988, p. 1923, § 7.)
OPINIONS OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
Services not to be provided in lieu of other health care providers.
- Although O.C.G.A. § 31-11-59 applies only to emergency medical technicians (EMTs) providing services in hospitals, the statute indicates the intent of the legislature that services provided by EMTs are not to be rendered in lieu of services of other health care professionals in other medical facilities where the Department of Human Resources (now the Department of Community Health for these purposes) may also authorize the use of EMTs; e.g., freestanding emergency care clinics. 1984 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 84-27.