Department highlights EMS advances: whole blood waiver, expanded buprenorphine use and continued federal grant reliance

Committee members and the Department of Health discussed emergency medical services funding and operational changes that the department said are improving prehospital care.

Deputy and department staff described a waiver that allows paramedics to administer whole blood in the field, and they highlighted an executive directive expanding paramedics’ authority to use buprenorphine to initiate treatment for opioid use disorder. "We have a waiver ... that came out to allow whole blood in the field by paramedics. This is evidence based, saves lives," Dr. Baston said, adding the buprenorphine directive enables treatment beyond overdose reversal.

Funding and stability: Senators pressed whether the EMS Task Force and other emergency medical services programs had stable funding given federal grant uncertainty. The department said the EMS Task Force is funded primarily through federal hospital preparedness grants and has received supplemental grants and workforce development awards in prior years. The department noted historical boluses (for example, CARES Act funds) that were provided during emergency responses, and it said the EMS Task Force routinely receives federal pass‑through funding.

Why it matters: Senators repeatedly urged stronger baseline funding for EMS because paramedics and ambulance services are frontline responders. The department said it will continue to monitor EMS finances and engage with the committee on potential supports if federal funding is reduced.

Context: The department also told senators it maintains certification for more than 21,000 EMTs and paramedics and licenses thousands of emergency medical units that respond to about 1.5 million emergencies annually; the department said it preserves funding for the state electronic patient care reporting system in the proposed budget.