Endorsed Resources

Warm Handoff
A warm handoff protocol, developed in partnership by the Pennsylvania departments of Health and Drug and Alcohol Programs as well and the Pennsylvania College of Emergency Physicians, and has been distributed statewide for recommended use by emergency room physicians and other healthcare professionals caring for overdose patients.

View the Pathway

Short Summary in Response to House Resolution 2016 of 2019 - Warm Hand-off's in Pennsylvania

ED Opioid Prescribing Guidelines
A task force of various state agencies, representatives from medical associations including PACEP and PAMED, provider advocates and community members developed and adopted guidelines for ten medical specialties on the safe and effective use of opioids in the treatment of pain.

Prescribing Guidelines

SAVES
PA Department of Health inspectors have been asking about the care provided to sexual assault victims and citing hospitals as noncompliant with the SAVES (Sexual Assault Victims Emergency Services) Act and/or EMTALA when patients are transferred. Both the American College of Physicians (ACEP) and the US Department of Justice (US-DOJ) support a more nuanced approach to these patients.

PACEP worked with the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP), the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR), and the PA Chapter of the International Association of Forensic Nurses to draft a position paper.

PACEP/PEHSC Interfacility Resource Document
The PACEP EMS & Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness (EMS) Committee, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council (PEHSC), developed the Interfacility Resource Document as a reference tool to assist referring and receiving physicians and other hospital staff with determining which type of transport is best suited to an individual patient's need.

PACEP/PEHSC Interfacility Resource Document

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