65-468. Rural health networks; definitions. - Kansas Statutes

65-468

Chapter 65.--PUBLIC HEALTH Article 4.--HOSPITALS AND OTHER FACILITIES

      65-468.   Rural health networks; definitions.As used in K.S.A. 65-468 to 65-474, inclusive, and amendments thereto:

      (a)   "Health care provider" means any person licensed or otherwise authorizedby law to provide health care services in this state or a professionalcorporation organized pursuant to the professional corporation law of Kansas bypersons who are authorized by law to form such corporation and who are healthcare providers as defined by this subsection, or an officer, employee or agentthereof, acting in the course and scope of employment or agency.

      (b)   "Member" means any hospital, emergency medical service, local healthdepartment, home health agency, adult care home, medical clinic, mental healthcenter or clinic or nonemergency transportation system.

      (c)   "Mid-level practitioner" means a physician assistant oradvancedregistered nurse practitioner who has entered into a written protocol with arural health network physician.

      (d)   "Physician" means a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery.

      (e)   "Rural health network" means an alliance of members including at leastone critical access hospital and at least one other hospital which hasdeveloped a comprehensive plan submitted to and approved by the secretary ofhealth and environment regarding patient referral and transfer; the provisionof emergency and nonemergency transportation among members; the development ofa network-wide emergency services plan; and the development of a plan forsharing patient information and services between hospital members concerningmedical staff credentialing, risk management, quality assuranceand peer review.

      (f)   "Critical access hospital" means a member of a rural health networkwhich makes available twenty-four hour emergency care services; provides notmore than 25 acute care inpatient beds or in the case of a facility with anapproved swing-bed agreement a combined total of extended care and acute carebeds that does not exceed 25 beds; provides acute inpatient care for a periodthat does not exceed, on an annual average basis, 96 hours per patient; andprovides nursing services under the direction of a licensed professional nurseand continuous licensed professional nursing services for not less than 24hours of every day when any bed is occupied or the facility is open to provideservices for patients unless an exemption is granted by the licensing agencypursuant to rules and regulations. The critical access hospital may provide anyservices otherwise required to be provided by a full-time, on-site dietician,pharmacist, laboratory technician, medical technologist and radiologicaltechnologist on a part-time, off-site basis under written agreements orarrangements with one or more providers or suppliers recognized under medicare.The critical access hospital may provide inpatient services by a physicianassistant, nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist subject to theoversight of a physician who need not be present in the facility. In additionto the facility's 25 acute beds or swing beds, or both, the critical accesshospital may have a psychiatric unit or a rehabilitation unit, or both. Eachunit shall not exceed 10 beds and neither unit will count toward the 25-bedlimit, nor will these units be subject to the average 96-hour length of stayrestriction.

      (g)   "Hospital" means a hospital other than a critical access hospital whichhas entered into a written agreement with at least one critical access hospitalto form a rural health network and to provide medical or administrativesupporting services within the limit of the hospital's capabilities.

      History:   L. 1992, ch. 158, § 1;L. 1998, ch. 53, § 2;L. 2002, ch. 203, § 3;L. 2004, ch. 87, § 1;L. 2004, ch. 180, § 8; July 1.