N.J. Admin. Code § 8:33C-5.1

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 23, December 2, 2024

Section 8:33C-5.1 - Required services

(a) The MCHC shall develop and implement a five-year regional perinatal and pediatric plan which takes into consideration all certificate of need application criteria set forth in this chapter, approved but unimplemented certificate of need applications, and the levels of care offered by licensed providers of perinatal and pediatric services. The regional perinatal and pediatric plan shall be updated and approved by the Department annually. The five-year regional perinatal plan and the annual update, as appropriate, shall be submitted to the Department on or before October 1 of every year.

(b) The MCHC shall develop and implement a system for discharge planning, infant follow-up and child health care coordination in the MCHC region. This system shall assure post-discharge continuity of care and shall be linked to necessary resources, such as:

1. Primary care services for all children in need of a primary care provider;

2. Referral to follow-up services for high-risk infants. Guidelines, compliance with which is not mandatory, are available from the Department of Health, Regional Services Program, PO Box 364, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0364, telephone (609) 292-5616;

3. Case management provided in coordination with Special Child and Adult Health Services County Case Management Units, as appropriate;

4. Home follow-up; and

5. Counseling services to parents, especially those experiencing perinatal and infant loss including, when appropriate, referral to the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Resource Center established pursuant to 52:17B-88.

(c) The MCHC, in conjunction with the designated Regional Perinatal Center shall establish, coordinate and monitor a regional transport system. This system shall include written policies and procedures for triage of mothers, neonates and/or infants to a facility designated and licensed to provide the most appropriate level of care, in accordance with formal letters of agreement between the MCHC and its Regional Perinatal Center(s) and Community Perinatal Centers. The regional transport system and any subsequent modification(s) thereof shall be reviewed and approved by the Department prior to implementation. The regional transport system plan shall include:

1. Documentation of current transport capabilities with actual transport numbers based on the most recent year available at the time licensure application is made;

2. A planned system to insure appropriate maternal-fetal, neonatal and/or infant transport to facilities designated and licensed to provide appropriate levels of advanced care;

3. A planned system for back transports of mothers, neonates and infants, where appropriate;

4. Written policies and procedures for maternal-fetal, neonatal and infant transports which specify that the most at-risk mothers, neonates and infants shall be triaged and transported, as soon as possible, to the facility designated and licensed to provide the most advanced appropriate level of care within the region, in accordance with these rules and N.J.A.C. 8:43G-19;

5. Written policies and procedures governing circumstances when the maternal and child health service region does not have a bed or bassinet available to accommodate a transport in accordance with the regional maternal-fetal, neonatal and infant transport plan; and

6. Documentation of existing pediatric transport capabilities.

(d) The MCHC shall provide or coordinate on-going, area wide professional education for all perinatal and pediatric service providers in the region, including, at least, regularly scheduled regional conferences. The MCHC shall provide or coordinate consumer education which is demographically appropriate to the region. The MCHC shall have in place a mechanism to assess the effectiveness of the regional education program annually.

(e) The MCHC shall establish a region-wide program for quality assurance which includes total quality improvement and regular collection and analysis of data which is designed to identify the nature and severity of health-service problems. The program and any subsequent modification(s) thereof shall be reviewed and approved by the Department prior to implementation, to assure that funds are allocated to fulfill the programmatic requirements as set forth in these rules. As part of the quality assurance program, the MCHC shall recommend, implement and monitor corrective action, based upon the data collected. The MCHC's plan for the region-wide program shall address at least the following:

1. A uniform regional system for automated data collection;

2. Management of the program by a specific subcommittee of the MCHC, which subcommittee shall meet at least quarterly;

3. Policies and procedures for collecting, abstracting and reporting data to the appropriate subcommittee, for use in quality assurance activities; and

4. Criteria for review of perinatal and pediatric statistics and pathology, including, but not limited to the following:

i. Transports with death;

ii. Noncompliance with rules regarding birth weight and gestational age;

iii. Cases in which no prenatal care was received;

iv. All maternal deaths;

v. All fetal deaths over 2,500 grams not diagnosed as having known lethal anomalies;

vi. Selected pediatric deaths and/or adverse outcomes (to be specified in the plan);

vii. Immunization of children two years of age in accordance with the provisions of N.J.A.C. 8:57, Communicable Diseases; and

viii. Admissions for ambulatory care sensitive diagnoses in children.

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:33C-5.1

Amended by R.2007 d.293, effective 9/17/2007.
See: 39 N.J.R. 829(a), 39 N.J.R. 3915(a).
In (a), substituted "five-year" for "three-year" twice.
Notice of readoption with technical change, effective 12/20/2021.
See: 53 N.J.R. 2198(a).