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TITLE 25HEALTH SERVICES
PART 1DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES
CHAPTER 157EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE
SUBCHAPTER GEMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TRAUMA SYSTEMS
RULE §157.125Requirements for Trauma Facility Designation

(a) The Office of Emergency Medical Services (EMS)/Trauma Systems Coordination (office) shall recommend to the Commissioner of the Department of State Health Services (commissioner) the designation of an applicant/healthcare facility (facility) as a trauma facility at the level(s) for each location of a facility the office deems appropriate.

  (1) Comprehensive (Level I) trauma facility designation--The facility, including a free-standing children's facility, meets the current American College of Surgeons (ACS) essential criteria for a verified Level I trauma center; meets the "Advanced Trauma Facility Criteria" in subsection (x) of this section; actively participates on the appropriate Regional Advisory Council (RAC); has appropriate services for dealing with stressful events available to emergency/trauma care providers; and submits data to the Texas EMS/Trauma Registry.

  (2) Major (Level II) trauma facility designation--The facility, including a free-standing children's facility, meets the current ACS essential criteria for a verified Level II trauma center; meets the "Advanced Trauma Facility Criteria" in subsection (x) of this section; actively participates on the appropriate RAC; has appropriate services for dealing with stressful events available to emergency/trauma care providers; and submits data to the Texas EMS/Trauma Registry.

  (3) Advanced (Level III) trauma facility designation--The facility meets the "Advanced Trauma Facility Criteria" in subsection (x) of this section; actively participates on the appropriate RAC; has appropriate services for dealing with stressful events available to emergency/trauma care providers; and submits data to the Texas EMS/Trauma Registry. A free-standing children's facility, in addition to meeting the requirements listed in this section, must meet the current ACS essential criteria for a verified Level III trauma center.

  (4) Basic (Level IV) trauma facility designation--The facility meets the "Basic Trauma Facility Criteria" in subsection (y) of this section; actively participates on the appropriate RAC; has appropriate services for dealing with stressful events available to emergency/trauma care providers; and submits data to the Texas EMS/Trauma Registry.

(b) A healthcare facility is defined under these rules as a single location where inpatients receive hospital services or each location if there are multiple buildings where inpatients receive hospital services and are covered under a single hospital license.

  (1) Each location shall be considered separately for designation and the Department of State Health Services (department) will determine the designation level for that location, based on, but not limited to, the location's own resources and levels of care capabilities; Trauma Service Area (TSA) capabilities; and the essential criteria and requirements outlined in subsection (a)(1) - (4) of this section. The final determination of the level(s) of designation may not be the level(s) requested by the facility.

  (2) A facility with multiple locations that is applying for designation at one location shall be required to apply for designation at each of its other locations where there are buildings where inpatients receive hospital services and such buildings are collectively covered under a single hospital's license.

(c) The designation process shall consist of three phases.

  (1) First phase--The application phase begins with submitting to the office a timely and sufficient application for designation as a trauma facility and ends when the survey report is received by the office.

  (2) Second phase--The review phase begins with the office's review of the survey report and ends with its recommendation to the commissioner whether or not to designate the facility and at what level(s). This phase also includes an appeal procedure governed by the department's rules for a contested case hearing and by Government Code, Chapter 2001.

  (3) Third phase--The final phase begins with the commissioner reviewing the recommendation and ends with his/her final decision.

(d) For a facility seeking initial designation, a timely and sufficient application shall include:

  (1) the department's current "Complete Application" form for the appropriate level, with all fields correctly and legibly filled-in and all requested documents attached, hand-delivered or sent by postal services to the office;

  (2) full payment of the designation fee enclosed with the submitted "Complete Application" form;

  (3) any subsequent documents submitted by the date requested by the office;

  (4) a trauma designation survey completed within one year of the date of the receipt of the application by the office; and

  (5) a complete survey report, including patient care reviews, that is within 180 days of the date of the survey and is hand-delivered or sent by postal services to the office.

(e) If a hospital seeking initial designation fails to meet the requirements in subsection (d)(1) - (5) of this section, the application shall be denied.

(f) For a facility seeking re-designation, a timely and sufficient application shall include:

  (1) the department's current "Complete Application" form for the appropriate level, with all fields correctly and legibly filled-in and all requested documents attached, hand-delivered or sent by postal services to the office one year or greater from the designation expiration date;

  (2) full payment of the designation fee enclosed with the submitted "Complete Application" form;

  (3) any subsequent documents submitted by the date requested by the office; and

  (4) a complete survey report, including patient care reviews, that is within 180 days of the date of the survey and is hand-delivered or sent by postal services to the office no less than 60 days prior to the designation expiration date.

(g) If a healthcare facility seeking re-designation fails to meet the requirements outlined in subsection (f)(1) - (4) of this section, the original designation will expire on its expiration date.

(h) The office's analysis of the submitted "Complete Application" form may result in recommendations for corrective action when deficiencies are noted and shall also include a review of:

  (1) the evidence of current participation in RAC/regional system planning; and

  (2) the completeness and appropriateness of the application materials submitted, including the submission of a non-refundable application fee as follows:

    (A) for Level I and Level II trauma facility applicants, the fee will be no more than $10 per licensed bed with an upper limit of $5,000 and a lower limit of $4,000;

    (B) for Level III trauma facility applicants, the fee will be no more than $10 per licensed bed with an upper limit of $2,500 and a lower limit of $1,500; and

    (C) for Level IV trauma facility applicants, the fee will be no more than $10 per licensed bed with an upper limit of $1000 and a lower limit of $500.

(i) When a "Complete Application" form for initial designation or re-designation from a facility is received, the office will determine the level it deems appropriate for pursuit of designation or re-designation for each of the facility's locations based on, but not limited to: the facility's resources and levels of care capabilities at each location, TSA resources, and the essential criteria for Levels I, II, III, and IV trauma facilities. In general, physician services capabilities described in the application must be in place 24 hours a day/7 days a week. In determining whether a physician services capability is present, the department may use the concept of substantial compliance that is defined as having said physician services capability at least 90% of the time.

  (1) If a facility disagrees with the level(s) determined by the office to be appropriate for pursuit of designation or re-designation, it may make an appeal in writing within 60 days to the director of the office. The written appeal must include a signed letter from the facility's governing board with an explanation as to why designation at the level determined by the office would not be in the best interest of the citizens of the affected TSA or the citizens of the State of Texas.

  (2) The written appeal may include a signed letter (s) from the executive board of its RAC or individual healthcare facilities and/or EMS providers within the affected TSA with an explanation as to why designation at the level determined by the office would not be in the best interest of the citizens of the affected TSA or the citizens of the State of Texas.

  (3) If the office upholds its original determination, the director of the office will give written notice of such to the facility within 30 days of its receipt of the applicant's complete written appeal.

Cont'd...

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