Section 640.44  Perinatal Center

a)         To be designated a Perinatal Center, a facility shall apply to the Department for the designation, and shall comply with all of the conditions described for intensive (Level III) perinatal care in Section 640.43 and shall comply with all of the conditions described in Subpart O of the Hospital Licensing Requirements (77 Ill. Adm. Code 250) promulgated by the Department which are applicable to the level of care necessary for the patients served, and in addition shall comply with the following:

1)         A Perinatal Center shall be a university or university affiliated facility responsible for the administration and implementation of the Department's regionalized perinatal health care program including continuing education for health professionals.  A Perinatal Center may be composed of one or more institutions.

2)         A Perinatal Center must be capable of providing the highest level of care within a regional network appropriate to maternal and neonatal high-risk patients.  The following services shall be available:

A)        Consultants in the various medical-pediatric-surgical subspecialties including cardiac, neurosurgery, genetics, and other support services;

B)        Follow-up assessment program;

C)        Maternal and neonatal transport services;

D)        Laboratory facilities available to the hospitals within the regional perinatal network.

b)         Within each regional perinatal network there shall be a Perinatal Center designated by the Department to be responsible for the administration and implementation of the Department's Regionalized Perinatal Health Care Program.

c)         The Perinatal Center will be responsible for providing leadership in the design and implementation of the Department's Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) program.  This will include the establishment and maintenance of a regional quality improvement structure (Regional Quality Council) for the implementation of the Department's Quality Improvement in Perinatal Program, (QIPP).

d)         Agency Review

1)         The Department shall develop a plan that has the degree of compliance with this Section's standards determined on a periodic basis not to exceed three years.

2)         The standards identified throughout this Section do not apply to infants who, after having completed initial therapy, are transferred back to the referring hospital for continuing care.  The capability of the hospital to provide necessary services for these infants is to be determined by mutual consent with the Perinatal Center and the issue addressed in the letter of agreement.

3)         The Department shall develop a methodology for incorporating perinatal outcomes information into the perinatal facility designation, redesignation, and exception processes.  The Department shall seek input on the development of this methodology from the Perinatal Advisory Committee.  This input shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, the identification and selection of indicators, defining standards for each level of care and the methodology for applying the standards to the designation, redesignation and/or exception processes.

(Source:  Amended at 24 Ill. Reg. 12574, effective August 4, 2000)