§ 20-13-804 - Powers and duties of the Department of Health. - Arkansas Statutes

20-13-804. Powers and duties of the Department of Health.

(a) The Department of Health may develop and implement a comprehensive trauma care system that provides guidelines for the care of trauma victims and is fully integrated with all available resources, including, but not limited to, existing emergency medical services providers, hospitals, or other health care providers that would like to participate in the program.

(b) (1) The department shall allocate funds deposited into the Public Health Fund to administer this subchapter.

(2) The allocation of available funds shall be developed and modified with:

(A) The advice of the Trauma Advisory Council; and

(B) The approval of the State Board of Health.

(3) Allocations of funds in the form of grants or contracts from the funds deposited into the Public Health Fund to administer this subchapter may include, but are not limited to:

(A) Emergency medical system care providers and ambulance providers under 20-13-809;

(B) Level I, Level II, Level III, and Level IV trauma centers under 20-13-810 -- 20-13-813;

(C) Rehabilitation service providers under 20-13-814;

(D) Quality improvement organizations under 20-13-815;

(E) Trauma regional advisory councils under 20-13-816;

(F) Command communication networks under 20-13-817; and

(G) Injury prevention programs under 20-13-818.

(c) The funds deposited into the Public Health Fund to administer this subchapter will be used to fund two (2) general types of grants with entities necessary to administer this subchapter:

(1) Start-up trauma grants to support initial costs required to qualify for participation in the trauma care system; and

(2) Sustaining trauma grants to support ongoing readiness costs for continued participation in the trauma care system.

(d) The department may contract with entities as necessary to implement this subchapter.