Agenda: GETAC EMS Committee 157 Workgroup Meeting – October 13, 2026

Upcoming 2026 GETAC Meeting Schedule

The schedule features a series of specialized task forces, workgroups, and full council gatherings through the autumn of 2026:

• GETAC Burn Care Task Force: Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 4:00 PM via Teams (Texas DSHS).
• GETAC Pre-hospital Whole Blood Task Force + RACs: Monday, September 14, 2026, and Monday, September 28, 2026, at 1:00 PM via Zoom (Texas DSHS).
• GETAC Injury Prevention and Public Education (IPPE) Workgroup: Monday, September 14, 2026, and Monday, September 28, 2026, at 1:00 PM via Teams (Texas DSHS).
• GETAC EMS Committee 157 Workgroup: Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 2:00 PM via Teams (Texas DSHS).
• GETAC Pre-hospital Whole Blood Task Force: Friday, November 20, 2026, at 1:00 PM via Zoom, with public participation at the Omni Fort Worth (Texas DSHS).
• Disaster Preparedness and Response Committee: Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 9:00 AM via Zoom and the Omni Fort Worth (Texas DSHS).
• Pediatric Committee: Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 10:30 AM via Teams and the Omni Fort Worth (Texas DSHS).
• Injury Prevention and Public Education Committee: Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 1:00 PM via Teams and the Omni Fort Worth (Texas DSHS).
• Stroke Committee: Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 2:30 PM via Teams and the Omni Fort Worth (Texas DSHS).
• Air Medical and Specialty Care Transport Committee: Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 4:00 PM via Teams and the Omni Fort Worth (Texas DSHS).
• System Collaborative for Outcome Review (SCOR): Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 5:30 PM via Teams and the Omni Fort Worth (Texas DSHS).
• EMS Education Committee: Sunday, November 22, 2026, at 9:00 AM via Teams and the Omni Fort Worth (Texas DSHS).
• Emergency Medical Services Committee: Sunday, November 22, 2026, at 10:30 AM via Teams and the Omni Fort Worth (Texas DSHS).
• EMS Medical Directors Committee: Sunday, November 22, 2026, at 1:00 PM via Teams and the Omni Fort Worth (Texas DSHS).
• Trauma Systems Committee: Sunday, November 22, 2026, at 2:30 PM via Teams and the Omni Fort Worth (Texas DSHS).
• Cardiac Care Committee: Sunday, November 22, 2026, at 4:00 PM via Teams and the Omni Fort Worth (Texas DSHS).
• Governor’s EMS and Trauma Advisory Council (GETAC): Monday, November 23, 2026, at 4:00 PM via Teams and the Omni Fort Worth (Texas DSHS).

EMS Committee 157 Workgroup Focus and Virtual Protocols

The EMS Committee 157 Workgroup—chaired by Dwayne Howerton, RN, LP, alongside DSHS staff members Sabrina Richardson, EMT-P, and State EMS Director Joseph Schmider—will convene to review specific sections of the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) (Texas DSHS). The agenda covers Rule §157.11 regarding requirements for an EMS provider license and Rule §157.14 concerning first responder organization license requirements (Texas DSHS).

Virtual meeting links are made available directly on the GETAC webpage maintained by the Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas DSHS). In accordance with Health and Human Services (HHS) policy enforced for these sessions, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) notetakers and autonomous bots is strictly prohibited (Texas DSHS). Producers will actively remove any unauthorized bot or automated agent that gains entrance to the virtual platform (Texas DSHS).

Public Comment Guidelines and Deadlines

The Texas Department of State Health Services accepts public comments pertaining to emergency health care topics for consideration by the council (Texas DSHS). Written public comments must be emailed to deidra.lee@dshs.texas.gov no later than 5:00 PM on October 10, 2026, for the upcoming workgroup cycle (Texas DSHS). Submissions must include the speaker’s name, direct phone number, and whether they are speaking as a private citizen or representing a specific organization (Texas DSHS).

Oral comments during the meetings are restricted to three minutes per speaker, who must state their name, affiliation, and the party they represent (Texas DSHS). Individuals utilizing handouts must provide an electronic copy in an accessible PDF format by the October 10, 2026 deadline, limited to two single-sided pages sized 8.5 by 11 inches, for distribution by DSHS staff (Texas DSHS).

Accessibility and Inquiries

Individuals with disabilities who plan to attend and require auxiliary aids or services must notify Jorie Klein at 512-535-8538 or via email at Jorie.Klein@dshs.texas.gov at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled meeting to allow appropriate arrangements to be made (Texas DSHS). General questions regarding agenda items, meeting arrangements, or content should be directed to Jorie Klein through the same contact channels (Texas DSHS).