(a) The Emergency Medical Services Authority shall be headed by the Director of the Emergency Medical Services Authority, who shall be appointed by the Governor upon nomination by the Secretary of California Health and Human Services, subject to confirmation by the Senate, and shall hold office at the pleasure of the Governor.

(b) The Emergency Medical Services Authority shall have a chief medical officer of the Emergency Medical Services Authority, who shall be appointed by the Governor upon nomination by the Secretary of California Health and Human Services, subject to confirmation by the Senate, and shall hold office at the pleasure of the Governor. The chief medical officer shall be a physician and surgeon licensed in California pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, and who has substantial experience in the practice of emergency medicine or emergency response in California.

(c) The chief medical officer shall provide clinical leadership and oversight concerning treatment, education, and other matters involving medical decisionmaking and delivery of patient care, including, but not limited to, scope of practice, trauma system organization, stroke and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) requirements, and first aid and CPR training.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 191, Sec. 3. (SB 137) Effective September 13, 2023.)