SECTIONS 1798.170-1798.172 - California Statutes

HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE

SECTION 1798.170-1798.172

1798.170. A local EMS agency may develop triage and transfer
protocols to facilitate prompt delivery of patients to appropriate
designated facilities within and without its area of jurisdiction.
Considerations in designating a facility shall include, but shall not
be limited to, the following:
(a) A general acute care hospital's consistent ability to provide
on-call physicians and services for all emergency patients regardless
of ability to pay.
(b) The sufficiency of hospital procedures to ensure that all
patients who come to the emergency department are examined and
evaluated to determine whether or not an emergency condition exists.
(c) The hospital's compliance with local EMS protocols,
guidelines, and transfer agreement requirements.

1798.172. (a) The local EMS agency shall establish guidelines and
standards for completion and operation of formal transfer agreements
between hospitals with varying levels of care in the area of
jurisdiction of the local EMS agency consistent with Sections 1317 to
1317.9a, inclusive, and Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 1798).
Each local EMS agency shall solicit and consider public comment in
drafting guidelines and standards. These guidelines shall include
provision for suggested written agreements for the type of patient,
initial patient care treatments, requirements of interhospital care,
and associated logistics for transfer, evaluation, and monitoring of
the patient.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), and in addition to Section
1317, a general acute care hospital licensed under Chapter 2
(commencing with Section 1250) of Division 2 shall not transfer a
person for nonmedical reasons to another health facility unless that
other facility receiving the person agrees in advance of the transfer
to accept the transfer.