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2001 SESSION

015866480
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 330
Offered January 10, 2001
Prefiled January 4, 2001
Requesting the Virginia EMS for Children Program of the Virginia Commonwealth University to study and determine the degree to which children are receiving specialized emergency services from trained personnel and to assess the minimum need for emergency equipment and supplies designed especially for children.
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Patron-- Miller, Y.B.
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, children account for about 17.8 million injury-related and 23.4 medically-related emergency department visits each year; and

WHEREAS, an estimated 8,000 to 12,000 children who die each year in the U.S. could be saved through injury prevention programs and emergency medical services for children; and

WHEREAS, because children suffer from a different spectrum of diseases and injuries than adults, emergency medical services differ significantly from those needed by children; and

WHEREAS, children are smaller, often respond with different symptoms than adults display in similar circumstances, and require specialized equipment and training; and

WHEREAS, specialized emergency medical services for children could potentially save many lives each year as well as millions of dollars in medical costs; and

WHEREAS, emergency medical services for children refers to specialized care designed for children who experienced a serious injury or an acute illness and is intended to enhance the pediatric capabilities of the standard emergency medical care system, which was originally designed for adults; and

WHEREAS, age-appropriate care and training for professionals may be lacking for a number of reasons, including inadequate access to medical services; providers who are volunteers with limited pediatric training; increases in injury rates due to poverty, overcrowded living conditions and homelessness; lack of universal 9-1-1 or similar emergency numbers; cultural and ethnic barriers; and changes in the health care system under managed care that may limit access to emergency treatment; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the Virginia EMS for Children Program of the Virginia Commonwealth University be requested to determine the degree to which children are receiving specialized emergency services from trained personnel and to assess the minimum need for emergency equipment and supplies designed especially for children.

All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Virginia EMS for Children Program for this study, upon request.

The direct costs for this study is estimated to be $130,000. The request for this study shall be contingent upon the cost of the study being paid from funds appropriated to the Virginia EMS for Children Program.

The Virginia EMS for Children Program shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 2002 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.