The department shall require reports from, regulate, investigate, and inspect all birthing centers and records of these facilities as necessary and promulgate regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act to carry out the purposes of this chapter. The regulations must include, but not be limited to, the following requirements:
(1) Births planned to occur at a birthing center must be restricted to low-risk births following normal, uncomplicated pregnancy.
(2) Birthing centers shall provide care by physicians, certified nurse-midwives, or licensed lay-midwives to childbearing women during pregnancy, birth, and puerperium.
(3) A physician must be on call and available to provide medical assistance at the birthing center at all times that it is serving the public.
(4) A physician shall make a written determination that the planned birth is low risk.
The regulations also must provide that any birthing center which is in operation at the time of promulgation of these regulations is given a reasonable period of time, not to exceed one year from the date of the promulgation, within which to comply with the regulations.
HISTORY: 1987 Act No. 99 Section 6.