§ 20-15-1103 - Creation. - Arkansas Statutes

20-15-1103. Creation.

(a) There is established in the Division of Health of the Department of Health and Human Services a program to be known as the "Newborn Infant Hearing Screening Program". The program shall provide for the early identification and follow-up of newborn infants at risk.

(b) The program shall include:

(1) Development through the promulgation of rules and regulations and criteria or factors to identify those newborn infants who are at risk for hearing impairment or of developing a progressive hearing impairment;

(2) Creation of a Hearing Impairment Registry to include, but not be limited to, the identification of newborn infants at risk for hearing impairment, infants with hearing impairment, and infants at risk of developing a progressive hearing impairment;

(3) Development of a hearing impairment at-risk questionnaire. The instrument shall be provided by the division to hospitals, birthing centers, and lay midwives for use in the program;

(4) Development of appropriate written materials regarding hearing impairment. The materials shall be provided to hospitals, birthing centers, and lay midwives for their use in the program;

(5) Development of a means of establishing contact with parents, guardians, and physicians of newborn infants with hearing impairment, of newborn infants at risk, and of infants at risk of developing a progressive hearing impairment;

(6) Establishment of a telephone hot line to communicate information about hearing impairment, hearing screening, audiological evaluation, and other services for infants with hearing impairment;

(7) Development of a screening report to be used by all facilities screening infants for hearing impairment to provide information to the division for a tracking system for newborn infants at risk; and

(8) A data collection system.