New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 8 - HEALTH
Chapter 33E - CERTIFICATE OF NEED: CARDIAC DIAGNOSTIC FACILITIES AND CARDIAC SURGERY CENTERS
Subchapter 1 - CARDIAC DIAGNOSTIC FACILITIES
Section 8:33E-1.8 - Agreements for cardiac surgery services

(a) Every facility applying to provide or providing invasive cardiac diagnostic services pursuant to this subchapter which is not also licensed to provide cardiac surgery services on site shall develop and maintain written agreements with cardiac surgery centers which shall include, but not necessarily be limited to: provisions for insuring quality control, rapid referral for surgery, emergency backup and transport procedures, and regular communication between the cardiologist performing catheterization and the surgeons to whom patients are referred. In addition, one of the referral agreements must be within one hour travel time from the diagnostic facility and at least one of the referral agreements shall be written with a New Jersey cardiac center.

(b) To insure that costs are not unnecessarily increased by duplication of procedures, written assurance shall be included within the referral agreement stating that, to the greatest extent possible, the receiving facility will accept the results of the diagnostic facility's examinations. Departures from this practice shall be limited to an established peer review mechanism at the receiving center.