Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 39, September 26, 2024
(a) Emergency
services plans. Each hospital shall maintain a comprehensive, written emergency
services plan based on community need and on the capability of the hospital.
This plan shall include procedures whereby an ill or injured person can be
addressed and either treated, referred to an appropriate facility or
discharged. Regardless of the scope of its services, each hospital shall
provide and maintain equipment necessary to institute essential life-saving
measures for inpatients and, when referral is indicated, shall arrange for
necessary transportation.
(b)
Organized emergency services. In hospitals with organized emergency services,
the following shall apply.
(1) Emergency
services shall be available 24 hours a day, and medical staff coverage shall be
adequate so that the patient will be seen within a period of time which is
reasonable relative to the severity of the patient's illness or injury.
(2) No patient shall be
transferred until the patient has been stabilized. A written statement of the
patient's immediate medical problem shall accompany the patient when
transferred. Every patient seeking medical care from the emergency services who
is not in need of immediate medical care or for whom services cannot be
provided by the hospital shall be given information about obtaining medical
care.
(3) The emergency service,
regardless of its scope, shall be organized and integrated with other
departments of the hospital.
(4)
The service shall be directed by a physician. The governing body shall adopt a
written statement defining the qualifications, duties, and authority of the
director. In the absence of a single physician, the direction of emergency
medical services may be provided through a multidisciplinary medical staff
committee, including at least one physician. The chairperson of this committee
shall serve as director.
(5) The
emergency nursing service shall be directed and supervised by a registered
nurse with training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. At least one registered
nurse with this training shall be available at all times.
(6) The emergency service area shall be
located near an outside entrance to the hospital and shall be easily accessible
from within the hospital. Suction and oxygen equipment and cardiopulmonary
resuscitation units shall be available and ready for use. This equipment shall
include equipment used for tracheal intubation, tracheotomy, ventilating
bronchoscopy, intra-pleural decompression and intravenous fluid administration.
Standard drugs, parental fluids, plasma substitutes and surgical supplies shall
be on hand for immediate use in treating life-threatening conditions.
(7) Written policies and
procedures which delineate the proper administrative and medical procedures and
methods to be followed in providing emergency care shall be established. A
medical record shall be kept for each patient receiving emergency services and
it shall be made a part of any other patient medical record maintained in
accordance with K.A.R. 28-34-9a and amendments thereto.
(c) Cessation of organized emergency
services. Any hospital ceasing to provide organized emergency services, at
least 30 days prior to such action, or as soon as possible, shall:
(1) Document approval of the governing body
of the closure of the organized emergency services;
(2) notify the licensing agency;
(3) place a legal public notice in the local
newspaper of such cessation of services; and
(4) notify the Kansas department of
transportation and the Kansas board of emergency medical services.
