50-6-101. Legislative purpose. (1) The public welfare requires the providing of assistance and encouragement for the development of an emergency care system for Montanans who each year are dying and suffering permanent disabilities needlessly because of inadequate medical services. The repeated loss of persons who die unnecessarily because necessary life-support personnel and equipment are not available to victims of accidents and sudden illness is a tragedy that can and must be eliminated.

(2) Community-integrated health care is necessary to improve the health of Montana citizens, to prevent illness and injury, to reduce the incidence of emergency calls and hospital emergency department visits made for the purpose of obtaining nonemergency, nonurgent medical care or services, and to provide community outreach, health education, and referral services within communities.

(3) The development of an emergency medical services program and community-integrated health care is in the interest of the social well-being and health and safety of the state and all of its people who require emergency and community-integrated medical care.