1-1 PHYSICIAN ON-SCENE

When a physician is present at the scene and offers their assistance, please inform the physician of the following policy:

“Thank you for your offer of assistance. Be advised these EMT’s are operating under the authority of Wisconsin Statute Chapter 256.15 No physician or other person may intercede in patient care without the medical control physician on duty relinquishing responsibility of the scene via radio or telephone.  If responsibility is given to a physician at the scene, that physician is responsible for any and all care given at the scene of the incident and en route to the hospital and must sign the patient’s medical record.”

Allied health personnel such as nurse practitioners and PA-C’s may assist in the care of the patient to the level deemed appropriate by the EMS providers, but may not assume medical control or give orders to the EMS providers.

Exceptions*:

1.     If the physician at the scene is the patient’s attending physician, including nephrology, the medical control physician will be consulted first before granting or refusing responsibility to that physician.

2.     If the physician at the scene is an emergency physician who routinely provides on line medical direction in the Brown County EMS System, the on line medical control physician will be consulted first before granting or refusing responsibility to that physician.

*If either of these situations occurs, the on-scene physician may contact medical control and transfer care of the patient back to the on-line medical control physician for treatment during transfer and does not have to accompany the patient to the hospital if the on-line medical control physician agrees.