HOUSE BILL NO. 27 "An Act relating to medical care for major emergencies." 4:32:57 PM Co-Chair Foster asked the sponsor to provide a brief recap of the bill. KATIE GIORGIO, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE GENEVIEVE MINA, SPONSOR, provided an overview of the bill. She summarized that HB 27 provided a coordinated statewide system of care for Alaskans experiencing heart attacks and strokes. The state had a trauma system of care for many years centered in the Department of Health (DOH), which included training, coordination, adoption of protocols, a trauma center registry system with hospitals that specified different levels of care, and robust data collection. The legislation strove to replicate the trauma system of care to heart attack and stroke emergencies. The program would be housed within DOH. She added that a Guardian Flight letter of support was recently added to the member's bill files (copy on file). 4:35:15 PM Co-Chair Foster OPENED public testimony. BRIAN WEBB, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), testified in support of the bill. He shared that he was a paramedic and critical care flight paramedic for 50 years. He relayed that since the passage of HB 168 [Trauma Care Centers/Fund, Chapter 98 SLA 10, 06/21/2010] in 2010, which established trauma centers and a trauma system of care, the state was collecting and using important trauma related data to identify "hot spots", allocate additional resources, and develop a design pattern to enact preventative measures. He elaborated that the data allowed Alaska EMS to target resources, training protocols, and equipment acquisition towards trauma care. He emphasized that HB 127 would accomplish the same outcome for medical emergencies. The same type of volunteer hospital facility designation for Level 1 through Level 5 trauma centers that allowed for inspections and facilitated facility recertifications would be established for heart attack and stroke medical emergencies. The bill allowed EMS to determine where to deliver the patients to the most appropriate facility and help decrease mortality. He added that the bill would result in cost savings, better patient outcomes, and a reduction in permanent disability. He asked for support. 4:38:12 PM TIMOTHY PETERSON, PHYSICIAN, JUNEAU (via teleconference), spoke in support of the bill. He shared that he was calling on behalf of his position as Medical Director, Southeast Region EMS, which assisted 27 different agencies transporting patients. He was concerned about patient safety and outcomes. He spoke about a recent regional conference that included all the medical directors in Southeast Alaska, medical directors from Airlift Northwest, Guardian Flight, LifeMed, Inc., and medical representatives from Carnival Cruise Lines. The discussion centered on the geography and remoteness of Southeast Alaska. The bill's inception was born out of the lack of an Emergency Medical System like the Trauma Care System. He emphasized the lack of data analysis to help with the transport decisions of life threatening medical emergencies where time was critically important to outcomes. He added that training and equipment were important to assist in getting the patient to the right facility. Representative Hannan asked for confirmation that he was in support of the bill. Dr. Peterson answered in the affirmative. Representative Hannan thanked him for his work. 4:41:53 PM JAMIE MORGAN, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS REGIONAL LEAD, AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA (via teleconference), testified in favor of the bill. She believed that the bill would ensure timely and effective treatment for heart attack and stroke medical emergencies. She relayed that the American Heart Association (AHA) advocated for quality systems of care based on nationally recognized standards for heart attack and stroke patients. She emphasized that the right care at the right time at the right facility was essential for time sensitive emergencies like strokes. She delineated that approximately 795 thousand people each year experienced a stroke in the United States (U.S.). A care system that reduced stroke related deaths by 2 to 3 percent saved 20 thousand lives. The care systems improved patient outcomes and were cost effective. She concluded that establishing a system of heart attack and stroke care improved outcomes and saved lives. 4:43:33 PM Co-Chair Foster CLOSED public testimony. Co-Chair Foster set an amendment deadline of April 29 at 5:00 pm HB 27 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further consideration. Co-Chair Foster reviewed the schedule for the following meeting.