Pa. House GOP aims to establish EMS Commissioner Office following audit

Harrisburg, Pa. — Following the release of the Pa. Auditor General’s fifth performance audit of the Department of Health’s administration of the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund (EMSOF), members of the Pa. House GOP are calling for immediate reforms.

Rep. Martin Causer, who represents Cameron, McKean, and Potter counties, created House Bill 1491 in response to the audit.

According to the audit, the Department of Health could not confirm whether RMSOF funds were used for allowable purposes in 68% of cases. Over a four-year period, the Department distributed nearly $38 million, with $29.3 million specifically designated to support the statewide EMS system. Auditors issued 18 recommendations, many of which Auditor General DeFoor stated were made repeatedly and ignored over the last 15 years.

House Bill 1491 proposes the creation of an independent Office of EMS Commissioner within the Department of Health, give EMS funds a dedicated line in the state budget, and establish an EMS advisory board modified after the fire and 9-1-1 boards.

The measure has been co-sponsored by Reps. Kerry Benninghoff, Centre and Mifflin counties; Tina Pickett, Bradford and Wyoming counties; Michael Stender, Montour and Northumberland counties.

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Pa. House GOP aims to establish EMS Commissioner Office following audit

According to Rep. Stender, this structural reform is necessary to make sure that EMS professionals are heard and funding is managed responsibly. The bill is currently under consideration by the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.

The cause is especially important to Stender, a career volunteer firefighter and EMT.

“As someone who had a career in EMS, I know how hard these providers work and how tight their budgets already are,” said Stender. “When every dollar matters, we cannot afford to waste funds that are meant to support emergency medical services. I am appalled at the lack of internal controls, and this audit makes it clear the Department of Health failed to do its job.”

Stender expressed strong support for adopting the audit’s recommendations and reiterated the importance of ensuring that all EMSOF funds are used transparently, responsibly, and in direct support of frontline emergency medical services.

“Local EMS providers are being asked to do more with less,” added Stender. “The Department of Health needs to be held accountable. These dollars are supposed to support training, staffing, equipment and patient care. They need to track the funds to guarantee they are being allocated properly.”