Section 410 IAC 39-3-1 - Birth center requirementsAuthority: IC 16-21-13-5
Affected: IC 16-21-2; IC 16-21-13
Sec. 1.
(a) A birth center is a facility that provides peripartum care of low-risk women with uncomplicated singleton term pregnancies, a vertex presentation, and who are expected to have an uncomplicated birth. Birth centers must be accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers. This does not include a hospital that is licensed as a hospital under IC 16-21-2.(b) Each birth center shall meet the following physical and procedural requirements: (1) Each birth center shall have all of the following facility capabilities: (A) Capability and equipment to provide low-risk maternal care and a readiness at all times to initiate emergency procedures to meet unexpected needs of the woman and newborn within the center, and to facilitate transport to an acute care setting when necessary.(B) Ability to initiate quality improvement programs that include efforts to maximize patient safety.(C) Medical consultation available at all times.(D) Ability to initiate emergency procedures to meet unexpected needs of the woman and newborn within the center, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and newborn resuscitation and stabilization.(E) Understanding of its capability to provide maternal and neonatal care and the threshold at which it should transfer women or newborns to a facility with a higher level of care.(2) Each birth center shall establish the following policies and procedures: (A) Established agreement with a receiving hospital with policies and procedures for a timely transport, including determinations of conditions necessitating consultation and referral.(B) Transfer plans that include risk identification; determination of conditions necessitating consultation; referral and transfer; and a reliable, accurate, and comprehensive communication system between participating facilities and transport teams.(C) Policies and procedures for data collection, storage, and retrieval.(c) Each birth center shall ensure the following staffing requirements are met: (1) Every birth is attended by at least two (2) licensed clinical professionals, one (1) of whom is certified in Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP®).(2) The primary maternal care provider who attends each birth (includes certified nurse midwives, family medicine physicians, and obstetricians-gynecologists (OB-GYN)) is educated, licensed, and legally recognized to practice within the jurisdiction of the birth center.(3) Availability of adequate numbers of qualified professionals with competence in Obstetric Level I care criteria (as described in 410 IAC 39-4-1) and ability to stabilize and make preparations to transfer high-risk women and newborns.Indiana State Department of Health; 410 IAC 39-3-1; filed 8/14/2019, 3:32 p.m.: 20190911-IR-410180416FRA