Level II Maternal Facility

Level II Maternal Care Designation

A Vision for Healthy Maternity Services in Columbus

The Texas Department of State Health Services recognized Columbus Community Hospital as a Level II Maternal Care Facility

The recognition follows an intensive review of operations at the hospital by state officials, who examined the facility’s preparation, staff training, and other requirements. The recognition affirms the hospital’s ability provide care for pregnant and postpartum patients with medical, surgical, and/or obstetrical conditions that present a low to moderate risk of maternal morbidity or mortality. The designation runs through Jan. 1, 2025.

In 2018, Texas officials developed and finalized the designation standards to address a death of women within the first year of giving birth.

More about Level II Maternal Care Facilities:

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Level II maternal designated facility will:

(1) provide care for pregnant and postpartum patients with medical, surgical, and/or obstetrical conditions that present a low to moderate risk of maternal morbidity or mortality; and

(2) have skilled personnel with documented training, competencies and annual continuing education specific for the patient population served.

(b) Maternal Medical Director (MMD). The MMD shall be a physician who:

(1) is a family medicine physician, an obstetrics and gynecology physician; or maternal fetal medicine physician, all with obstetrics training and experience, and with privileges in maternal care;

(2) demonstrates administrative skills and oversight of the Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program; and

(3) has completed annual continuing education specific to maternal care including complicated conditions.

(c) Program Function and Services.

(1) Triage and assessment of all patients admitted to the perinatal service.

(A) Pregnant patients identified at high risk of delivering a neonate that requires a higher level of neonatal care than the scope of their neonatal facility shall be transferred to a higher level neonatal designated facility prior to delivery unless the transfer is unsafe.

(B) Pregnant or postpartum patients identified with conditions and/or complications that require a higher level of maternal care shall be transferred to a higher level maternal designated facility unless the transfer is unsafe.

(2) Provide care for pregnant patients with the capability to detect, stabilize, and initiate management of unanticipated maternal–fetal or maternal problems that occur during the antepartum, intrapartum, or postpartum period until the patient can be transferred to a higher level of neonatal and/or maternal care.

(3) An obstetrics and gynecology physician with obstetrics training and experience, and with maternal privileges, shall be available at all times and arrives at the patient bedside within 30 minutes of an urgent request.

(4) A board certified maternal fetal medicine physician shall be available at all times for consultation.

(5) Medical and surgical physicians shall be available at all times and arrive at the patient bedside within 30 minutes of an urgent request.

(6) Specialists including behavioral health, shall be available at all times for consultation appropriate to the patient population served.

(7) Ensure that a qualified physician or certified nurse midwife with appropriate physician back-up is available to attend all deliveries or other obstetrical emergencies.

(8) The primary provider caring for a pregnant or postpartum patient who is a family medicine physician with obstetrics training and experience, obstetrics and gynecology physician, maternal fetal medicine physician, or a certified nurse midwife, physician assistant or nurse practitioner with appropriate physician back-up, whose credentials have been reviewed by the MMD and is on call:

(A) shall arrive at the patient bedside within 30 minutes of an urgent request;

(B) shall complete annual continuing education, specific to the care of pregnant and postpartum patients, including complicated conditions.

(9) Certified nurse midwives, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who provide care for maternal patients:

(A) shall operate under guidelines reviewed and approved by the MMD; and

(B) shall have a formal arrangement with a physician with obstetrics training and/or experience, and with maternal privileges who will:

(i) provide back-up and consultation;

(ii) arrive at the patient bedside within 30 minutes of an urgent request; and

(iii) meet requirements for medical staff as described in §133.205 of this title (relating to Program Requirements) respectively.

(10) An on-call schedule of providers, back-up providers, and provision for patients without a physician will be readily available to facility and maternal staff and posted on the labor and delivery unit.

(11) Ensure that the physician providing back-up coverage shall arrive at the patient bedside within 30 minutes of an urgent request.

(12) The appropriate anesthesia, laboratory, pharmacy, radiology, respiratory therapy, ultrasonography and blood bank services shall be available on a 24-hour basis as described in §133.41 of this title (relating to Hospital Functions and Services) respectively.

(A) Anesthesia personnel with training and experience in obstetric anesthesia shall be available at all times and arrive to the patient bedside within 30 minutes of an urgent request.

(B) An anesthesiologist with training and/or experience in obstetric anesthesia shall be available at all times for consultation.

(C) Laboratory and blood bank services shall be capable of:

(i) providing ABO-Rh specific or O-Rh negative blood, fresh frozen plasma and/or cryoprecipitate, and platelet components on-site at all times;

(ii) implementing a massive transfusion protocol;

(iii) ensuring guidelines for emergency release of blood components; and

(iv) managing multiple blood component therapy

(D) Medical Imaging.

(i) If preliminary reading of imaging studies pending formal interpretation is performed, the preliminary findings must be documented in the medical record.

(ii) There shall be regular monitoring of the preliminary versus final reading in the QAPI Program.

(iii) Computed Tomography (CT) imaging and interpretation available at all times.

(iv) Basic ultrasonographic imaging for maternal or fetal assessment, including interpretation shall be available at all times.

(v) A portable ultrasound machine immediately available at all times to the labor and delivery and antepartum unit.

(E) A pharmacist shall be available for consultation at all times.

(13) Obstetrical Services.

(A) The ability to begin an emergency cesarean delivery and ensure the availability of a physician with the training, skills, and privileges to perform the surgery within a time period consistent with current standards of professional practice and maternal care.

(B) Ensure the availability and interpretation of non-stress testing, and electronic fetal monitoring.

(C) A trial of labor for patients with prior cesarean delivery shall have the capability of anesthesia, cesarean delivery, and maternal resuscitation on-site during the trial of labor.

(14) Resuscitation. The facility shall have written policies and procedures specific to the facility for the stabilization and resuscitation of the pregnant or postpartum patient based on current standards of professional practice. The facility:

(A) ensures staff members, not responsible for the neonatal resuscitation, are immediately available on-site at all times who demonstrate current status of successful completion of ACLS and the skills to perform a complete resuscitation; and

(B) ensures that resuscitation equipment, for pregnant and postpartum patients, is readily available in the labor and delivery, antepartum and postpartum areas. Difficult airway management equipment shall be immediately available at all times to these areas.

(15) The facility shall have written guidelines or protocols for various conditions that place the pregnant or postpartum patient at risk for morbidity and/or mortality, including promoting prevention, early identification, early diagnosis, therapy, stabilization, and transfer. The guidelines or protocols must address a minimum of:

(A) massive hemorrhage and transfusion of the pregnant or postpartum patient in coordination of the blood bank, including management of unanticipated hemorrhage and/or coagulopathy;

(B) obstetrical hemorrhage including promoting the identification of patients at risk, early diagnosis, and therapy to reduce morbidity and mortality;

(C) hypertensive disorders in pregnancy including eclampsia and the postpartum patient to promote early diagnosis and treatment to reduce morbidity and mortality;

(D) sepsis and/or systemic infection in the pregnant or postpartum patient;

(E) venous thromboembolism in the pregnant and postpartum patient, including assessment of risk factors, prevention, early diagnosis and treatment;

(F) shoulder dystocia including assessment of risk factors, counseling of patient, and multi-disciplinary management; and

(G) behavioral health disorders, including depression, substance abuse and addiction that includes screening, education, consultation with appropriate personnel and referral.

(16) The facility shall have nursing leadership and staff with training and experience in the provision of maternal nursing care who will coordinate with respective neonatal services.

(17) Perinatal Education. A registered nurse with experience in maternal care, including moderately complex and ill obstetric patients, shall provide the supervision and coordination of staff education. Perinatal education for high risk events will be provided at frequent intervals to prepare medical, nursing, and ancillary staff for these emergencies.

(19) Social services, pastoral care and bereavement services shall be provided as appropriate to meet the needs of the patient population served.

(20) Dietician or nutritionist available with appropriate training and experience for population served in compliance with the requirements in §133.41 of this title.