Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 48 - PUBLIC HEALTH-GENERAL
Part I - General Administration
Subpart 3 - Licensing and Certification
Chapter 67 - Free-Standing Birth Centers
Subchapter F - Safety, Sanitization and Emergency Preparedness
Section I-6781 - Infection Control

A. The FSBC shall maintain an infection control program that minimizes infections and communicable diseases through prevention, investigation, and reporting of infections. This program shall include all contracted services.

B. The FSBC shall provide a functional and sanitary environment for the provision of delivery services by adopting and adhering to professionally accepted standards of practice. The FSBC shall have documentation that the infection control program was considered, selected, and implemented based on nationally recognized infection control guidelines.

C. The infection control program shall be under the direction of a designated and qualified professional. The FSBC shall determine that the individual selected to lead the infection control program has had documented training in the principles and methods of infection control. The individual shall maintain his/her qualifications through ongoing education and training, which can be demonstrated by participation in infection control courses or in local and national meetings organized by a nationally recognized professional infection control society.

D. The FSBC shall develop, with the approval of the director of clinical midwifery services and the governing body, policies and procedures for preventing, identifying, reporting, investigating, controlling, and immediately implementing corrective actions relative to infections and communicable diseases of clients and personnel. At a minimum, the policies shall address:

E. The FSBC shall have policies and procedures developed and implemented which require immediate reporting, according to the latest criteria established by the CDC, OPH, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), of the suspected or confirmed diagnosis of a communicable disease.

F. The FSBC shall maintain an infection control log of incidents related to infections. The log is to be maintained within the FSBC for a minimum of 18 months.

G. Any employee with a personal potentially contagious/or infectious illness shall report to his/her immediate supervisor and/or director of midwifery services for possible reassignment or other appropriate action to prevent the disease or illness from spreading to other clients or personnel.

H. Provisions for isolation of clients with a communicable or contagious disease shall be developed and implemented according to FSBC policy and procedure.

I. Provisions for transfer of clients from the FSBC shall be developed and implemented according to FSBC policy and procedure.

J. The FSBC shall develop a system by which potential complications/infections that develop after discharge of a client from the FSBC are reported, investigated, and monitored by the infection control officer.

K. Procedures for isolation techniques shall be written and implemented when applicable.

L. The FSBC shall have a written and implemented waste management program that identifies, and controls wastes and hazardous materials to prevent contamination and the spread of infection within the FSBC. The program shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations governing wastes and hazardous materials and the safe handling of these materials.