Mississippi Administrative Code
Title 15 - Mississippi Department of Health
Part 8 - Office of Health Policy and Planning
Subpart 90 - Planning and Resource Development
Chapter 05 - Acute Care Facilities and Services Overview
Section 15-8-90-05-515 - Certificate of Need Criteria and Standards for Cardiac Catheterization Services and Open-Heart Surgery Services
Section 15-8-90-05-515.01 - Joint Policy Statement Regarding Certificate of Need Applications for the Acquisition or Otherwise Control of Cardiac Catheterization Equipment and/or the Offering of Cardiac Catheterization Services and/or the Acquisition of Open-Heart Surgery Equipment and/or the Offering of Open-Heart Surgery Services
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in Mississippi. However, it should be noted that the State has seen a decrease in mortality rates in the last few years. From 2004 to 2013, the mortality rate for African American women decreased by 25% per 100,000 and the total mortality rate decreased by 19.6% per 100,000. Studies show that minorities have a higher cardiovascular death rate than whites and are less likely to receive cardiac catheterization and open-heart surgery services than are whites. The disproportionate impact on minorities' health status in general is recognized elsewhere in this State Health Plan.
Innovative approaches to address these problems in the cardiac area are needed. It has been shown that statistical methods, such as population base and optimum capacity at existing providers, are not accurate indicators of the needs of the underserved, nor do they address the accessibility of existing programs to the underserved. The goal of these revisions to the State Health Plan is to improve access to cardiac care and to encourage the establishment of additional cardiac catheterization and open-heart surgery programs within the state that can serve the poor, minorities, and the rural population in greater numbers.
MSDH also adopted a provision that it shall not consider utilization of equipment/services at any hospital owned and/or operated by the state or its agencies when reviewing CON applications. MSDH further adopted standards requiring an applicant to report information regarding catheterization and open-heart programs so as to monitor the provision of care to the medically underserved and the quality of that care.
MSDH shall interpret and implement all standards in this Plan in recognition of the stated findings and so as to achieve the stated goal.
