§ 23-4.1-15 - Trauma system advisory committee. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 23-4.1-15

   § 23-4.1-15  Trauma system advisorycommittee. – There is established within the department of health a trauma system advisorycommittee. The committee, appointed by the director, shall includerepresentatives of the following groups: consumers, third-party payers,emergency medical technicians, hospitals, physicians, nurses, the HospitalAssociation of Rhode Island, the department of health, the ambulance serviceadvisory board, emergency medical service providers, and the Rhode IslandMedical Society. Each nonprofit hospital with an emergency medical serviceshall have a representative appointed by its president. In addition, thereshall be two (2) members of the house of representatives appointed by thespeaker, one of whom shall be a member of the minority party, and two (2)members of the senate appointed by the president of the senate, one of whomshall be a member of the minority party. Subject to the limitations of existingdata and other resources, the committee shall undertake a thorough examinationof all aspects of the state's trauma system, including:

   (1) A review of the current utilization of trauma servicesfor each acute care hospital;

   (2) A review of each hospital's trauma patient mix andmortality and morbidity rates for classes of patients;

   (3) Hospital staffing patterns and likely future needs;

   (4) The current financing of trauma care including the issueof uncompensated care and an examination of additional costs for systemenhancement; and

   (5) Pre-hospital care protocols and emergency medicalservices' capabilities and integration needs.