The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) is announcing the release of a new draft of the 13th edition of national accreditation Standards for Medical Transport programs.
The new draft includes proposed changes resulting from comments and suggestions received during the past year.
Because of the number and extent of the suggestions received to date, the expected publication in 2025 is being pushed out to the fall of 2026.
Additional comments and suggestions are still being accepted and are greatly appreciated. The first edition of the Standards was published in 1990 and the Standards have evolved with input from those who work in the medical transport industry.
According to Jan Eichel, the new executive director of CAMTS, “We don’t consider these as ‘our’ standards, but as standards that are developed by those that do the job every day. We greatly value and appreciate the comments and suggestions that we receive from these dedicated care providers, administrators, and patients.”
Programs providing medical transport from basic life support up to, and including, critical care can voluntarily apply for accreditation if they believe they are in substantial compliance with the Standards. Accreditation is valid for three years.
As an accredited standards setting organization through the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), CAMTS follows the ANSI essential elements for establishing new and expanding standards.
This includes solicitation and consideration of comments as well as suggestions for standards development. The draft of the 13th edition of the CAMTS medical transport Accreditation Standards is posted on the CAMTS website (camts.org) and is open for public comments.
An online comment/suggestion form allows for new comments and assures all recommendations are logged and addressed. The Standards chapters include:
- Management and Staffing
- Quality
- Utilization and Safety Management
- Patient Care
- Communication
- Rotor Wing
- Fixed Wing
- Surface
Updated drafts of the standards, as well as feedback from comments received, will be posted on the CAMTS website periodically until the final version is approved by the CAMTS Standards Committee and the CAMTS Board.
The final standards are now expected to be released in fall of 2026 and will become effective January 1, 2027. The application process and requirements can be found on the CAMTS website.
CAMTS is also accepting comments and suggestions for its other accreditation standards including Medical Escort, Special Operations and Mobile Integrated Healthcare/Community Paramedics. The application process, current standards, and forms to submit suggested changes can be found on the CAMTS website (camts.org).
This press release was prepared and distributed by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems
