Emergency Medical Services for Children Program Reauthorization Act of 2018

Mr. President, today I wish to speak about legislation to reauthorize the Emergency Medical Services for Children program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau. I want to thank my fellow bill sponsors, Senators Casey and Schatz, for their dedication to improving children's health and for working with me to extend this important program once again.

I am honored to have helped create the EMSC program with Senator Daniel Inouye in 1984, and I take great pride in the work that I have done since then to reauthorize it over the years. As we near the 35th anniversary of EMSC, we can look back on the great progress we have made. Indeed, we have made significant strides in assuring that emergency medical personnel and systems are trained to effectively treat pediatric patients while in transport to a medical facility.

As we have said time and time again, children are not just small adults. They have different medical needs, presenting special challenges for emergency and trauma care providers. From smaller-sized medical equipment to different dosage requirements for medicines, pediatric patients have important physical, mental, and developmental differences from adults. It is the EMSC program that ensures state-of- the-art emergency medical care for all sick or injured children and adolescents across the entire spectrum of care.

My home State of Utah has played such an influential role with EMSC in advancing the level of emergency medical care for children. The University of Utah is home to the EMSC program's National Emergency Medical Services for Children Data Analysis Resource Center, which is critical to helping States to evaluate EMS system effectiveness and pediatric patient care. Also housed at the University of Utah is the Central Data Management Coordinating Center for the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. The DCC serves as the central data repository for the PECARN, which conducts high-priority, multi- institutional research on the prevention and management of acute illnesses and injuries in youth of all ages.

Throughout its history, EMSC has received overwhelming bipartisan support. The program makes a large impact with a relatively small budget, aiding all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories in improving their EMS systems, and developing improved procedures and protocols for treating children. I urge my colleagues to support our reauthorization bill so that the EMSC program will continue to improve emergency medical care for children in the United States.

Mr. President, today I wish to speak about legislation to reauthorize the Emergency Medical Services for Children program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau. I want to thank my fellow bill sponsors, Senators Casey and Schatz, for their dedication to improving children's health and for working with me to extend this important program once again.

I am honored to have helped create the EMSC program with Senator Daniel Inouye in 1984, and I take great pride in the work that I have done since then to reauthorize it over the years. As we near the 35th anniversary of EMSC, we can look back on the great progress we have made. Indeed, we have made significant strides in assuring that emergency medical personnel and systems are trained to effectively treat pediatric patients while in transport to a medical facility.

As we have said time and time again, children are not just small adults. They have different medical needs, presenting special challenges for emergency and trauma care providers. From smaller-sized medical equipment to different dosage requirements for medicines, pediatric patients have important physical, mental, and developmental differences from adults. It is the EMSC program that ensures state-of- the-art emergency medical care for all sick or injured children and adolescents across the entire spectrum of care.

My home State of Utah has played such an influential role with EMSC in advancing the level of emergency medical care for children. The University of Utah is home to the EMSC program's National Emergency Medical Services for Children Data Analysis Resource Center, which is critical to helping States to evaluate EMS system effectiveness and pediatric patient care. Also housed at the University of Utah is the Central Data Management Coordinating Center for the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. The DCC serves as the central data repository for the PECARN, which conducts high-priority, multi- institutional research on the prevention and management of acute illnesses and injuries in youth of all ages.

Throughout its history, EMSC has received overwhelming bipartisan support. The program makes a large impact with a relatively small budget, aiding all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories in improving their EMS systems, and developing improved procedures and protocols for treating children. I urge my colleagues to support our reauthorization bill so that the EMSC program will continue to improve emergency medical care for children in the United States.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 695, S. 3482.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.