§ 26-8a-252. Department duties.

     In connection with the statewide trauma system established in Section 26-8a-250, the department shall:

(1) establish a statewide trauma system plan that:

(a) identifies statewide trauma care needs, objectives, and priorities;

(b) identifies the equipment, facilities, personnel training, and other things necessary to create and maintain a statewide trauma system; and

(c) organizes and coordinates trauma care within defined geographic areas;

(2) support the statewide trauma system by:

(a) facilitating the coordination of prehospital, acute care, and rehabilitation services and providers through state regulation and oversight;

(b) facilitating the ongoing evaluation and refinement of the statewide trauma system;

(c) providing educational programs;

(d) encouraging cooperation between community organizations, health care facilities, public health officials, emergency medical service providers, and rehabilitation facilities for the development of a statewide trauma system;

(e) implementing a quality assurance program using information from the statewide trauma registry established pursuant to Section 26-8a-253;

(f) establishing trauma center designation requirements in accordance with Section 26-8a-254; and

(g) developing standards so that:

(i) trauma centers are categorized according to their capability to provide care;

(ii) trauma victims are triaged at the initial point of patient contact; and

(iii) trauma patients are sent to appropriate health care facilities.

Enacted by Chapter 305, 2000 General Session