Section DHS 118.08 - Hospitals(1) HOSPITAL RESPONSIBILITY TO AFFILIATE WITH AN RTAC.(a)1. All hospitals shall select one regional trauma advisory council for primary membership by July 30, 2005.2. Pursuant to s. DHS 118.04(2) (c) 3., the hospital shall submit its selection under subd. 1. to the department for approval. (b) Notwithstanding par. (a), a hospital may participate in the activities of any regional trauma advisory council.(c) A hospital shall notify the department if the hospital changes membership in an RTAC.(2) CLASSIFICATION OF HOSPITALS. (a)Initial hospital selection of trauma care level. 1. `All hospitals.'a. All hospitals shall declare their current trauma care capabilities to the department within 180 days of January 1, 2005, according to the criteria specified in this section.b. A hospital desiring level I or II classification and verification shall be responsible for expenses associated with the verification process under s. DHS 118.04(2) (c) 2. and (6) (a).c. A hospital desiring level III or IV classification may be responsible for expenses associated with the classification process under s. DHS 118.04(2) (c) 2. and (6) (a).2. `Level I and II trauma care facilities.' a. A hospital declaring itself as a Level I or II trauma care facility shall have been verified at that level by the ACS in accordance with the standards and guidelines established by the ACS. Note: Subd. 2. a. is shown as affected eff. 10-1-21 by CR 19-086. Prior to 10-1-21 it reads:
a. A hospital declaring itself as a level I or II trauma care facility shall have been verified at that level by the American college of surgeons in accordance with the publication Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient.
Note: The publication,Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient: 1999, Committee on Trauma, American College of Surgeons (1998), is on file in the Department's Division of Public Health and the Legislative Reference Bureau, and is available for purchase from the American College of Surgery, 633 W. Saint Clair St., Chicago, Illinois 60611-3211.
b. A hospital desiring department approval as a level I or II trauma care facility, but which has not received ACS verification at that level, may only be approved as a level III or IV trauma care facility.3. `Level III and IV trauma care facilities.' a. A hospital desiring department approval as a level III or IV trauma care facility shall either submit documentation to the department that it has received ACS verification at level III or IV or complete the department's assessment and classification criteria application form. Note: For a copy of the Department's assessment and classification criteria application form for approval as a trauma care facility, please write to the Wisconsin Trauma Care System Coordinator, Division of Public Health, P.O. Box 2659, Madison WI 53701-2659 or download the form from the DHS website at: http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/forms/F4/F47479.doc
b. The department shall review the information in the hospital's application and base its approval or disapproval of the application on the conformance of the facility with the criteria in appendix A.c. If any Type 1 Criteria or more than three Type 2 Criteria are not demonstrated at the time of the initial classification site visit or at the initial site visit for any subsequent renewal of classification, the hospital's application may not be approved. If all Type 1 Criteria are demonstrated but one to three Type 2 Criteria are not demonstrated at the time of a site visit, then a one-year provisional certificate of classification may be issued and another review shall be required before the hospital's application may be approved. This second review must occur within one year from the date of notification and may include an onsite re-visit or a review of documents submitted by the hospital to the department. If the trauma care facility successfully corrects the deficiencies, the period of classification will be extended to three years from the date of the initial site visit. Note: Subd. 3. c. is created eff. 10-1-21 by CR 19-086.
4. `Pediatric trauma center.' A hospital may not refer to itself as a pediatric trauma center unless it has received ACS verification as a pediatric trauma center.5. `Unclassified hospital.' A hospital that chooses not to participate in the Wisconsin trauma care system or that has not been approved by the department as a level I, II, III or IV trauma care facility shall be considered an unclassified hospital. Note: To obtain a form for selection of trauma care level and application for Department approval of the chosen level, contact the Statewide Trauma Care Coordinator by phone at 608-266-0601 or by writing to the Statewide Trauma Care System Coordinator, Department of Health Services, Bureau of Local Public Health Practice and Emergency Medical Services, Room 118, 1 West Wilson, Madison, WI 53701 or by sending a fax to 608-261-6392.
(b)Trauma care facility change in capability. 1. `Level I or II trauma care facility.' If a hospital loses its ACS verification as a level I or II trauma care facility, the following shall occur:a. The hospital shall notify the department of that change within 30 calendar days.b. The department may no longer recognize the hospital as having the level of trauma care that the ACS previously verified the hospital as having.c. The hospital may complete and submit to the department a new application form under par. (a) or choose to be an unclassified hospital. 2. `Level III or IV trauma care facility.' a. A level III or IV trauma care facility shall notify the department of the facility's intent to change its level of trauma care. If the trauma care facility meets the department's trauma care assessment and classification criteria under sub. (1), or has been verified by the ACS as being another level trauma care facility, the department shall recognize the facility at the level desired. b. The department may revoke its approval of a level III or IV trauma care facility if the department determines the facility does not meet the criteria associated with the facility's existing classification.c. The department may perform a site visit of a level III or IV trauma facility to determine compliance with the evaluation criteria in accordance with s. DHS 118.04(6) (a) 4.d. If a level III or IV trauma care facility is unable to continue functioning at its current level of trauma care, the facility shall notify the department no more than 30 calendar days after the facility no longer continues to function as a level III or IV trauma care facility.(c)Renewal of a hospital's level III or IV classification. 1. At least once every 3 years after initial classification, the department shall provide all level III and IV trauma care facilities an assessment and classification criteria form.2. The trauma care facility shall declare to the department the facility's level of trauma care capability on the assessment and classification form.3. The trauma care facility shall submit the assessment and classification criteria form to the department at least 6 months before the expiration of the department's approval of facility's existing level of trauma care capability.4. A level III or IV trauma care facility's existing classification shall continue until the department makes a final decision on the renewal request, unless the department determines a compromise in patient care exists, at which time the department may immediately revoke the facility's classification.5. A level III or IV trauma facility that does not renew its classification within the time specified under this paragraph shall automatically lose its department approval as its existing level of trauma care facility and shall be considered an unclassified hospital.(d)Restricted use of term "trauma care facility" or "trauma facility".1. A hospital may not advertise in any manner or otherwise represent itself as either a trauma care facility or trauma facility unless the hospital has been classified as a level I, II, III or IV trauma care facility by the department in accordance with this chapter.2. A hospital's advertisement or public representation of its classification as a trauma care facility shall include its level.(3) COMPLAINTS. (a) A trauma care facility may submit a complaint to the department regarding a department action.(b) The department shall respond to the complaint pursuant to s. DHS 118.04(3).Wis. Admin. Code Department of Health Services DHS 118.08
CR 04-055: cr. Register December 2004 No. 588, eff. 1-1-05.Amended by, corrections in (2) (a) 2. a. and (Note), 3. c. made under s. 13.92(4) (b) 7, Stats., Register May 2021 No. 785, eff. 6/1/2021