Section 211.341 - Statewide system for heart attack response and treatment - Care levels and standards(1) The department shall establish and implement a plan for achieving continuous quality improvement in the quality of care provided under a statewide system for heart attack response and treatment by designating licensed hospitals as: (a) Level I Comprehensive Cardiac Center;(b) Level II Primary Heart Attack Center; or(c) Level III Acute Heart Attack Ready.(2) A hospital may apply to the department in order to be recognized as Level I Comprehensive Cardiac Center, Level II Primary Heart Attack Center, or Level III Acute Heart Attack Ready hospital. If a hospital applies for recognition, it shall demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the department, that the hospital meets the applicable criteria set forth in KRS 211.340 to 211.343.(3)(a) A Level I Comprehensive Cardiac Center is a hospital that is certified as a Comprehensive Cardiac Center hospital by any certifying body which is a nationally recognized guidelines-based organization that provides comprehensive cardiac center certification for heart attack care. Each hospital shall maintain an active certification.(b) The department shall recognize any hospital as a Level I Comprehensive Cardiac Center if it meets the criteria established in this subsection.(4)(a) A Level II Primary Heart Attack Center is a hospital that is certified as a Primary Heart Attack Center by any certifying body which is a nationally recognized guidelines-based organization that provides primary heart attack center certification for heart attack care. Each hospital shall maintain an active certification.(b) The department shall recognize any hospital as a Level II Primary Heart Attack Center if it meets the criteria established in this subsection.(5)(a) A Level III Acute Heart Attack Ready hospital is a hospital that is certified as Acute Heart Attack Ready by any certifying body which is a nationally recognized guidelines-based organization that provides acute heart attack ready certification for heart attack care. Each hospital shall maintain an active certification.(b) The department shall recognize any hospital as a Level III Acute Heart Attack Center if it meets the criteria established in this subsection.(6) Level I Comprehensive Cardiac Centers, Level II Primary Heart Attack Centers, and Level III Acute Heart Attack Ready hospitals are encouraged to coordinate, through a coordinating heart attack care agreement, within their service area to provide appropriate access to care for acute heart attack patients. A coordinating heart attack care agreement shall be in writing and include at a minimum: (a) Transfer protocols for the transport and acceptance of heart attack patients for treatment therapies which the transferring facility is not capable of providing; and(b) Communication criteria and protocols that include but are not limited to telemedicine systems.(7) The department may suspend or revoke a hospital's designation as Level I Comprehensive Cardiac Center, Level II Primary Heart Attack Center, or Level III Acute Heart Attack Ready if the department determines that the hospital is not in compliance with the requirements of KRS 211.340 to 211.343.Added by 2022 Ky. Acts ch. 115,§ 2, eff. 7/13/2022.