SB 873 - Under this act, any deficiency found during a site review for the designation of a hospital as a trauma, STEMI, or stroke center that was identified and corrected by the hospital prior to the site review shall not be cited as a deficiency requiring a plan or correction or used to deny the hospital's requested designation.

Additionally, the Department of Health and Senior Services shall designate a hospital as a Level I STEMI center if such hospital has been certified as a comprehensive cardiac center or a comprehensive heart attack center by the Joint Commission.

Under current law, any hospital designated as a Level III stroke center under certain provisions of law shall have a formal agreement with a Level I or Level II stroke center for physician consultative services. Under this act, such hospitals shall have the formal agreement with either the Level I or Level II stroke centers or a tele-neurology service for physician consultative services.

Finally, the Department shall not specify the number of physicians necessary to satisfy coverage or backup requirements for Level II or lower stroke or STEMI designations. Such facilities shall maintain and have available medical staff twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to assess, diagnose, and treat patients. Coverage of backup capacity shall be deemed satisfied through contingency plans such as coverage arrangements, or transfer agreements with another like or higher-level facility, and telehealth may be utilized in such arrangements. The Department shall allow a physician to satisfy coverage requirements for multiple designations.

This act is substantially similar to HB 2220 (2024).

SARAH HASKINS