Current through Register Vol. 18, September 20, 2024
(1) A birth
center organization:
(a) maintains a
governing body that meets regularly; and
(b) actively seeks and takes appropriate
action on feedback from its consumers.
(2) A birth center administration shall:
(a) operate under a clearly defined mission,
philosophy, and goals;
(b) follow
generally accepted accounting principles and take measures to make sure it is
fiscally responsible, including a plan to cover shortfalls; and
(c) ensure continuity of leadership and
quality of care.
(3)
Facility requirements for a birth center include:
(a) compliance with regulations established
in the local jurisdiction, including applicable local and state codes for
construction, fire prevention, public safety and access, annual inspections by
the fire department, building inspector, and other officials concerned with
public safety as determined by the local jurisdiction; and
(b) an emergency plan in the event of fire
and natural disasters and documents practice of the plan on an annual
basis.
(4) Equipment
requirements for a birth center include:
(a)
a readily available emergency cart or tray for the mother and newborn that is
equipped to carry out the written emergency procedures of the birth center and
securely placed with a written log of routine maintenance; and
(b) regular inspections of all medical
equipment and documents accordingly.
(5) A birth center shall maintain sufficient
supplies, including basic medical supplies for both mothers and babies, on
hand, for the number of childbearing families served at the birth
center.
(6) Quality of service
requirements for a birth center include:
(a)
respect for health care rights of all clients, including privacy;
(b) standard HIPAA practices; and
(c) providers who practice midwifery and
support the normal birth process including:
(i) careful screening for potential
complications;
(ii) honoring the
mother's needs and desires throughout labor;
(iii) assisting the mother in managing pain;
and
(iv) paying close attention to
the mother and baby's status in labor.
(d) limits its services to normal labor,
therefore it does not utilize interventions such as:
(i) vacuum extraction;
(ii) medications to speed up labor;
(iii) continuous electronic monitoring;
and
(iv) epidural nerve
block.
(7)
The birth center has a specific plan for transferring to a hospital if
complications arise before, during labor, or after birth and interventions are
required.
(8) Staffing and
personnel requirements for a birth center include:
(a) professional staff and consulting
specialists licensed to practice their profession and having the knowledge and
skills required to provide the services offered by the birth center;
(b) at least two staff members attending
every birth who are trained and certified in CPR and newborn
resuscitation;
(c) staff members
who are trained according to the policies and procedures of the birth
center;
(d) the birth center must
keep a schedule for clinical staff on call, to make sure all shifts are
covered, day and night, seven days a week; and
(e) the birth center must conduct regular
emergency drills to make sure staff members are prepared to manage unexpected
situations with laboring mothers and newborns.
(9) Health record requirements for a birth
center include:
(a) forms appropriate for use
in a birth center, and clinicians document patient care accordingly;
(b) use of the chart supports a full prenatal
exam to ensure that all clients are low risk;
(c) educates clients on self-care in
pregnancy, including:
(i) nutritional
counseling;
(ii) informed
decision-making about pain relief in labor; and
(iii) newborn care.
(10) The birth center maintains a
plan for coordinating the transfer of the patient chart to another facility if
the mother or newborn needs to be transferred and clearly communicates this
plan to the mother.
(11) Quality
assessment and improvement activity requirements for a birth center include:
(a) a well defined quality improvement
program;
(b) reviews of its
practices and clinical outcomes on a regular basis to ensure that it follows
its own policies;
(c) procedures to
actively seek client feedback, and then evaluate complaints and suggestions and
work to improve client satisfaction on a regular basis; and
(d) staff must be evaluated on a regular
basis to ensure competency and alignment with birth center policies.
50-5-103,
53-6-106,
MCA; IMP,
50-5-103,
50-5-201,
MCA;
