Section 440. Obstetric and newborn services general requirements

A. Hospitals with licensed obstetric and newborn services in operation prior to August 10, 1995, or revisions to thereof shall comply with all of the requirements of this section with the exception of specified sections of 12VAC5-410-442. Hospitals that establish and organize obstetric and newborn services after August 10, 1995, shall comply with all requirements of this section and 12VAC5-410-441 through 12VAC5-410-447 before licensure approval is granted.

B. A hospital with organized obstetric and newborn services shall comply with the following general requirements:

1. The governing body of the hospital or the chief executive officer shall appoint an administrative manager for the obstetric and newborn services. The administrative manager may serve as an administrator of another hospital service but must be available to the obstetric and newborn services. The chief executive officer shall designate, in writing, an individual to act in the administrative manager's behalf during a temporary absence of the administrative manager.

2. The hospital is responsible for the development, periodic review and revision of a service management plan. The plan must include provisions to assure that the hospital complies with all state and federal regulations and guidelines applicable to obstetric and newborn care as well as the policies and procedures for obstetric and newborn care adopted by the hospital's governing body and medical staff. The plan is to be developed and maintained as follows:

a. The plan shall be developed in cooperation with the medical directors and nursing staffs assigned to each of the services.

b. The plan shall include the protocol, required by § 32.1-127 of the Code of Virginia, for the admission or transfer of any pregnant woman who presents in labor.

c. The plan shall be the responsibility of the administrative manager who is to assure that the plan is developed, that it complies with state and federal requirements and the hospital's policies and procedures, and that it is periodically reviewed and revised.

d. A copy of the plan shall be readily available at each nursing station within the obstetric and newborn services for staff reference.

e. A copy of the plan shall be made available, upon request, to the licensing inspector for review.

3. The hospital shall provide the following services in support of the obstetric and newborn services units:

a. Clinical laboratory services and blood bank services shall be available in the hospital on a 24-hour basis. Laboratory and blood bank personnel shall be available on-site or on-call on a 24-hour basis. The blood bank shall have group O Rh negative blood available at all times and be able to provide correctly matched blood in 45 minutes from request. The hospital's laboratory and blood bank personnel must be capable of performing the following tests with less than 1.0 ml of blood within one hour of request or less if specified:

(1) Blood group and Rh type determination/cross matching

(2) Arterial blood gases within 20 minutes

(3) Blood glucose within 20 minutes

(4) Complete blood count

(5) Total protein

(6) Total bilirubin

(7) Direct Coombs test

(8) Electrolytes

(9) Blood urea nitrogen

(10) Clotting profile (may require more than one cc of blood).

b. Portable radiological services for basic radiologic studies in each labor room, delivery room, and nursery shall be available on call on a 24-hour basis.

c. In addition to the requirements specified in 12VAC5-410-240 anesthesia service personnel shall be available on-site or on-call to begin anesthesia within 30 minutes of notification.

C. Beginning July 1, 2012, hospitals providing maternity care shall offer to obtain a sample of blood from an infant born at the hospital and provide that sample to the mother of the infant.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR355-33-500 § 2.28, eff. July 28, 1993; amended, Volume 11, Issue 08, eff. April 1, 1995; Volume 11, Issue 16, eff. June 1, 1995; Volume 11, Issue 21, eff. August 10, 1995; Volume 21, Issue 06, eff. February 14, 2005; Volume 28, Issue 02, eff. November 1, 2011.

Statutory Authority

§ 32.1-127 of the Code of Virginia.