Code of Maine Rules › 10 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES › 144 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - GENERAL › Chapter 279 - RULES RELATING TO THE MAINE NEWBORN HEARING PROGRAM › Section 144-279-3.0 - RESPONSIBILITY FOR HEARING SCREENING OF INFANTS BORN IN HOSPITALS IN MAINE

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
3.1 The administrator of the birthing
				hospital shall be responsible for providing information about the importance of
				newborn hearing screening and of receiving follow-up care. The information must
				explain the process of a newborn hearing screening, the likelihood of a child
				having a hearing loss, follow-up procedures and community resources and must
				include a description of the normal auditory, speech and language development
				process in children. This information must be provided to the parents of the
				newborn prior to discharge or by one month of age, whichever comes first, and
				must include information regarding the location of hearing facilities available
				to the newborn. The administrator of the birthing hospital may elect to provide
				newborn hearing screening at his/her facility or may coordinate, schedule or
				arrange for newborn hearing screening at another facility.
3.2 Each administrator of a birthing hospital
				or birthing center should appoint and provide to the Maine Newborn Hearing
				Program, the name of a contact person at the facility, who shall be responsible
				for coordinating the facility's hearing screening program or reporting
				record.
3.3 The person who actually
				performs the hearing screening shall be responsible for documenting the hearing
				screening results in the infant's chart and in the facility's designated
				reporting record. The documentation shall include the hearing screening method
				used, person performing the hearing screening, any high risk indicators
				observed and the results of the hearing screening.
3.4 No infant shall be discharged from a
				birthing hospital or birthing center until his/her medical record is checked to
				assure that it includes documentation of a hearing screening has been
				performed, scheduled or declined by the parents. In the event an infant is
				identified as having been discharged without appropriate documentation of
				hearing screening, the scheduling of a hearing screening appointment, or
				parental refusal of hearing screening, follow-up is required. Follow-up must
				occur within two business days of such identification. The contact person shall
				notify the Maine Newborn Hearing Program that the infant has been discharged
				without appropriate documentation of hearing screening, the scheduling of a
				hearing screening appointment or parental refusal of hearing
				screening.
3.5 In the event that an
				infant is transferred to another birthing hospital before the hearing screening
				has been completed, it is the responsibility of the second facility to assure
				that information regarding the importance of newborn hearing screening and
				follow-up care has been provided to the parents of the newborn. Such
				information shall be provided to the parents of the newborn prior to discharge,
				or within one month of age, whichever occurs first, and shall include the
				location of a facility wherein newborn hearing screening is available. The
				administrator of the birthing hospital may either offer to provide the newborn
				hearing screening at his/her facility, or to coordinate, schedule, or arrange
				for the newborn hearing screening to be provided at another facility.
3.6 In the event newborn infants are preterm,
				ill, in intensive care, or otherwise medically unstable, the administrator of
				the birthing hospital shall provide information regarding newborn hearing
				screening, as soon as practical and reasonable, after the newborn becomes
				medically stable.
3.7 Hospitals
				providing newborn hearing screening shall establish standards for appropriate
				documentation, data management and transmission of data for the Maine Newborn
				Hearing Program.