HHSC: Perinatal Advisory Council

Call to order: Dr. Emily Briggs convened this meeting. Roll call: Council roll was called. A quorum was present. Approval of the minutes. The minutes for the meeting on November 6, 2018, were approved. Neonatal and Maternal Designation Programs: This update summarized the landscape of the 234 neonatal facilities across the state, including 83 level 1, 75 level 2, 56 level 3 and 20 level 4 facilities. An FAQ on these facilities has been posted. The update also provided an overview of designation appeals: 3 designations were overturned, meaning they had their designation changed, 11 designations were appealed but upheld, 1 is under a secondary review, 5 are under review and 5 have been granted an extension. A secondary review is conducted when an appeal brings about a designation change which is not satisfactory to the facility. A follow-up survey can be administered in the case that an appeal only makes necessary a partial examination of a facility. Rural Matters - Balanc