Section R9-10-224. Pediatric Services

A.      An administrator of a hospital that provides pediatric services or organized pediatric services according to the requirements in this Section shall ensure that:

1.        Consistent with the health and safety of a pediatric patient, arrangements are made for a parent or a guardian of the pediatric patient to stay overnight;

2.        Policies and procedures are established, documented, and implemented for:

a.         Infection control for shared toys, books, stuffed ani- mals, and other items in a community playroom; and

b.        Visitation of a pediatric patient, including age limits if applicable;

3.        A pediatric inpatient is only admitted if the hospital has the staff, equipment, and supplies available to meet the needs of the pediatric patient based on the pediatric patient’s medical condition and the hospital’s scope of services; and

4.        If the hospital provides pediatric intensive care services, the pediatric intensive care services comply with inten- sive care services requirements in R9-10-221.

B.       An administrator of a hospital that provides pediatric orga- nized services shall ensure that pediatric services are provided in a designated area under the direction of a medical staff member.

C.      An administrator shall ensure that in a multi-organized service unit or a patient care unit that is providing medical and nursing services to an adult patient and a pediatric patient according to this Section:

1.        A pediatric patient is not placed in a patient room with an adult patient, and

2.        A medication for a pediatric patient that is stored in the patient care unit is stored separately from a medication for an adult patient.

D.      Except as provided in subsections (F) and (G), an administra- tor of a hospital that does not provide pediatric organized ser- vices may admit a pediatric inpatient only in an emergency.

E.       A hospital may use a bed in a pediatric organized services patient care unit for an adult patient if an administrator estab- lishes, documents, and implements policies and procedures that:

1.        Delineate the specific conditions under which an adult patient is placed in a bed in the pediatric organized ser- vices unit, and

2.        Except as provided in subsection (H) and (I), ensure that an adult patient is:

a.         Not placed in a pediatric organized services patient care unit if a pediatric patient is admitted to and present in the pediatric organized services patient care unit, and

b.        Transferred out of the pediatric organized services patient care unit to an appropriate level of care when a pediatric patient is admitted to the pediatric orga- nized services patient care unit.

F.       Subsection (G) only applies to a general hospital or rural gen- eral hospital that:

1.        Does not provide pediatric organized services;

2.        Has designated in the general hospital’s or rural general hospital’s scope of services, inpatient services that are available to a pediatric patient;

3.        Has a licensed capacity of less than 100; and

4.        Is located in a county with a population of less than 500,000.

G.      An administrator of a general hospital or rural general hospital that meets the criteria in subsection (F) shall ensure that:

1.        There are pediatric-appropriate equipment and supplies available based on the hospital services designated for pediatric patients in the general hospital or rural general hospital’s scope of services; and

2.        Personnel members that are or may be assigned to pro- vide hospital services to a pediatric patient have the appropriate skills and knowledge for providing hospital services to a pediatric patient based on the general hospi- tal’s or rural general hospital’s scope of services.

H.      Subsection (I) only applies to a general hospital or a rural gen- eral hospital that:

1.        Provides organized pediatric services in a patient care unit;

2.        Has designated in the general hospital’s or rural general hospital’s scope of services, inpatient services that are available to an adult patient in an organized pediatric ser- vices patient care unit;

3.        Has a licensed capacity of less than 100; and

4.        Is located in a county with a population of less than 500,000.

I.        An administrator of a general hospital or rural general hospital that meets the criteria in subsection (H) shall comply with the requirements in subsection (E)(1).

Historical Note

Adopted effective February 23, 1979 (Supp. 79-1). Sec- tion repealed; new Section made by final rulemaking at 8

A.A.R. 2785, effective October 1, 2002 (Supp. 02-2). Amended by exempt rulemaking at 18 A.A.R. 1719,

effective June 30, 2012 (Supp. 12-2). Section R9-10-224 renumbered to R9-10-225; new Section R9-10-224 renumbered from R9-10-223 and amended by exempt rulemaking at 19 A.A.R. 2015, effective October 1, 2013 (Supp. 13-2). Amended by exempt rulemaking at 20

A.A.R. 1409, pursuant to Laws 2013, Ch. 10, § 13; effec- tive July 1, 2014 (Supp. 14-2).