New Mexico Administrative Code › Title 7 - HEALTH › Chapter 27 - EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES › Part 7 - TRAUMA CARE SYSTEM › Section 7.27.7.7 - DEFINITIONS

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 13, July 16, 2024
Unless a different meaning is plainly required by the
				  context, the following words and phrases used in these regulations shall have
				  the meanings indicated.
A.
"ACLS"
means advanced cardiac life support, a course developed by the
				American Heart Association.
B.
"activation of the trauma system"
means procedures whereby a
				pre-hospital provider of hospital/healthcare facility identifies the major
				trauma patient by trauma triage criteria and pre-hospital and hospital
				resources are mobilized to care for the patient in accordance with the regional
				trauma plan and the trauma center's policy and procedures for trauma team
				activation.
C.
"approved"
means approved by the IPEMS Bureau.
D.
"ATLS"
means advanced trauma
				life support, a course developed by the American College of Surgeons.
E.
"board certified or board
				eligible"
means completion of the examination and award of certification
				by the appropriate certifying body for the physician specialty. Eligible means
				meets the standards to sit for the appropriate certifying board and actively
				pursuing certification.
F.
"BP"
means blood pressure.
G.
"Bureau"
means the Injury
				Prevention and EMS Bureau of the Public Health Division of the Department of
				Health.
H.
"certified
				ambulance service"
means any provider of ambulance service subject to
				the jurisdiction of the Public Regulation Commission.
I.
"continuum of care"
means
				all services available to the population of persons either at risk of injury or
				who have incurred an injury, beginning with injury prevention and progressing
				to long term care services and including the return to the highest level of
				wellness and functioning.
J.
"CME"
means continuing medical education.
K.
"Department"
means the New
				Mexico Department of Health.
L.
"designated trauma center"
means a hospital identified by the
				Department as a Level I, II, III, or IV trauma care services
				provider.
M.
"designation"
means a formal determination by the Department that a
				hospital/healthcare facility is capable of providing special resources and care
				as a designated trauma center.
N.
"Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Provider"
means Emergency
				Medical Technicians (EMT) or trained EMS first responders who render care in
				response to a need for immediate medical care to prevent loss of life or
				aggravation of physical or psychological illness or injury.
O.
"ENPC"
means Emergency
				Nursing Pediatric Course, developed by the Emergency Nurses
				Association.
P.
"E-Code"
means external cause code, an etiology included in the
				International Classification of Diseases (ICD).
Q.
"ED"
means emergency
				department.
R.
"facility
				patient care protocols"
means the written procedures adopted by the
				medical staff of a participating facility that directs the care of the patient.
				These procedures shall be based upon the assessment of the patient's medical
				needs and shall follow minimum statewide standards.
S.
"hospital"
means a facility
				with an emergency department and physician(s) available, licensed under state
				statute, or a comparable facility operated by the federal government or located
				and licensed in another state.
T.
"hospital trauma registry"
means a computerized trauma data base
				maintained by a hospital/healthcare facility.
U.
"hospital trauma registry policy
				manual"
means a written guideline used by New Mexico trauma data
				collection personnel to ensure uniform, complete and accurate trauma
				data.
V.
"ICD"
means
				the international classification of diseases, a coding system developed by the
				World Health organization.
W.
"ICU"
means intensive care unit.
X.
"immediately available"
means the immediate and rapid response upon notification and the physical
				presence of the health professional in the stated location at the time of need
				by the trauma patient which is continuously monitored by the process
				improvement plan.
Y.
"inclusive trauma system"
means a trauma system that encourages optimal
				participation by all providers in the continuum of trauma care as well as
				injury prevention, rehabilitation and long-term care service
				providers.
Z.
"indicator"
means a process improvement tool or process measure used to
				monitor the quality of important governance, management, clinical, and support
				processes and outcomes.
AA.
"interfacility transfer criteria"
means the criteria established to
				indicate the need for a level of care for the trauma patient that is not
				available at the transferring facility.
BB.
"letter of intent"
means a
				written document executed by a hospital/healthcare facility's administration
				indicating their intention to participate in the New Mexico Trauma
				System.
CC.
"level I trauma
				center"
means a hospital which is designated by the Department as having
				met the hospital/healthcare facility resource standards for a level I trauma
				center as described in the most recent version of the Resources for Optimal
				Care of the Injured Patient, published by the Committee on Trauma of the
				American College of Surgeons. A level I trauma center is capable of providing
				immediately available comprehensive care on a twenty-four (24) hour basis for
				acutely injured patients of all ages. The hospital is committed with resources
				for the evaluation, stabilization, and definitive care of all injured patients
				as well as committed to trauma-related research, training, and community
				outreach. A level I trauma center shall satisfy the requirements for outreach,
				training and public education as specified in Appendix D, Table 1, Outreach,
				Training and Public Education Section.
DD.
"level II trauma center"
means a hospital which is designated by the Department as having met the
				hospital resource standards for a level II trauma center as described in the
				most recent version of the Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient,
				published by the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons. A
				level II trauma center is capable of providing promptly available major trauma
				care on a twenty-four (24) hour basis for acutely injured patients of all ages.
				The hospital has the capability to provide subspecialty care in most areas and
				is committed with resources for the evaluation, stabilization, and definitive
				care of all injured patients. A level II trauma center shall satisfy the
				requirements for outreach, training and public education as specified in
				Appendix D, Table 1, Outreach, Training and Public Education Section.
EE.
"level III trauma center"
means a hospital which is designated by the Department as having met the
				hospital resource standards for a level III trauma center as described in
				Appendix D, Table 1 of these regulations. A level III trauma center is capable
				of providing promptly available trauma care on a twenty-four (24) hour basis,
				including on-call general surgery and select specialty coverage. The hospital
				is capable of providing evaluation, initial stabilization, limited ongoing care
				and for the transfer of acutely injured patients of all ages to level I or
				level II facilities which can provide further definitive surgical
				care.
FF.
"level IV trauma
				center"
means a hospital or other healthcare facility that is designated
				by the Department as having met the hospital/healthcare facility resource
				standards for a level IV trauma center as described in Appendix D, Table1 of
				these regulations. A level IV trauma center is capable of providing
				physician-directed basic services for the evaluation, initial stabilization,
				and early transfer of acutely injured patients of all ages to a higher level of
				care. Such facilities may have limited on-call general surgical and
				subspecialty services.
GG.
"local EMS medical director"
means a physician who is responsible for
				all aspects of patient care of a local EMS system or EMS provider service,
				including providing for or ensuring the medical control of EMTs; the
				development, implementation, and evaluation of protocols and oversight of
				process improvement activities as described in the Medical Direction for
				Emergency Medical Services, 7.27.3 NMAC, or such other regulations as may be
				adopted by the Public Health Division of the Department.
HH.
"local trauma transport
				protocols"
means protocols, developed and approved by the Regional
				Trauma Advisory Councils, to define destination procedures for major trauma
				patients.
II.
"major
				trauma"
means serious injury caused by external forces which may result
				in death or disability.
JJ.
"mid-level practitioner"
means an advance practice nurse or physician
				assistant.
KK.
"New Mexico
				Trauma Foundation"
means an organization established to conduct trauma
				related research, to develop and coordinate trauma injury prevention programs,
				to coordinate and facilitate the financial viability activities of the
				designated trauma centers and trauma team participating physicians and other
				trauma system related activities and purposes.
LL.
"Office of the Medical
				Investigator (OMI)"
means the office designated by the State of New
				Mexico to determine the causes of sudden or unexplained death.
MM.
"PALS
" means pediatric
				advance life support, a course developed by the American Heart
				Association.
NN.
"participating facility"
means any hospital that treats or admits trauma
				patients and that is an active participant in their Regional Trauma Advisory
				Council.
OO.
"pediatric
				trauma patient"
means a trauma patient known or estimated to be less
				than fourteen (14) years of age.
PP.
"physician"
means a doctor
				of medicine or osteopathy who is licensed or otherwise authorized to practice
				medicine or osteopathy in the State of New Mexico.
QQ.
"PI"
means process
				improvement, an organized method of monitoring, evaluating and improving care
				provided throughout the trauma system.
RR.
"pre-hospital patient care
				protocols"
means the written procedures adopted by the local EMS medical
				director or adopted by the Regional Trauma Council which directs the
				pre-hospital emergency care of a patient.
SS.
"promptly available"
means
				the physical presence of the health professionals in the stated location within
				a specified period of time, which is defined in the local or regional trauma
				plan and the hospital's trauma center designation application.
TT.
"qualifying trauma patient"
means a patient who meets the statewide and approved regional pre-hospital
				trauma triage criteria and the Bureau approved criteria for statewide trauma
				registry inclusion.
UU.
"recognized"
means written acknowledgement by the Bureau.
VV.
"region"
means a geographic
				area served by local emergency medical service(s) and/or hospital(s)/healthcare
				facilities for the purpose of planning a local system which provides care for
				persons with injuries.
WW.
"Regional Trauma Advisory Council (ReTrAC)"
means a TAC and Bureau
				approved group from each recognized trauma region that develops and implements
				trauma plans that address the particular needs of the trauma service
				area.
XX.
"regional trauma
				plan"
means a document created by a Regional Trauma Advisory Council and
				approved by the Bureau with the advice of the Trauma Advisory Committee that
				identifies goals, objectives, guidelines, and standards for the oversight,
				management and operation of a regional trauma program.
YY.
"Secretary"
means the
				Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health.
ZZ.
"trauma"
means a major
				single or multi-system injury requiring immediate medical or surgical
				intervention or treatment to prevent death or permanent disability.
AAA.
"Trauma Advisory Committee
				(TAC)"
means the subcommittee on trauma of the Statewide EMS Advisory
				Committee established pursuant to the EMS Act.
BBB.
"trauma center"
means a
				hospital/healthcare facility designated by the Department to receive and
				provide services for trauma patients under these regulations.
CCC.
"trauma clinical services"
means the pre-hospital coordination, hospital resuscitation, hospital inpatient
				treatment, rehabilitation and follow-up medical care services for trauma
				patients which are the responsibility of the designated trauma center and the
				appropriate physician specialist, as defined by these regulations.
DDD.
"trauma committee"
means a
				multi-disciplinary, hospital-sponsored committee that meets regularly to
				provide input to the trauma program and to the hospital's administrative and
				medical staff.
EEE.
"trauma
				nurse coordinator"
means a registered nurse with experience, special
				training and certification who is assigned by the trauma center to manage the
				requirements as provided for in these regulations and to provide trauma program
				coordination, leadership and direction according to a hospital-approved job
				classification.
FFF.
"trauma
				program"
means an administrative unit of a trauma center that includes
				the medical director, trauma nurse coordinator, and trauma program support
				staff, for the ongoing management and coordination of the hospital's trauma
				program.
GGG.
"TTP"
means the approved prehospital trauma transport protocols, developed by the
				local/regional EMS medical director, that utilize the trauma triage guidelines
				to determine primary and alternative transport destinations for prehospital
				providers.
HHH.
"trauma
				registry"
means a database which documents and integrates medical and
				system information related to the provision of trauma care by
				hospitals/healthcare facilities.
III.
"trauma surgeon"
means a
				physician who is Board certified or Board eligible in general surgery, and who
				has trauma surgery privileges delineated by the hospital/healthcare facility's
				medical staff.
JJJ.
"trauma
				system"
means an organized approach to providing personnel, trauma
				centers, and equipment for the coordinated and effective treatment of patients
				with an injury with the potential of requiring immediate medical or surgical
				intervention to prevent death or disability. The trauma care system includes
				prevention activities, pre-hospital care, hospital care, and rehabilitation.
				The components of a trauma system include:
(1)
				provision of manpower
(2) training
				of personnel
(3)
				communications
(4)
				transportation
(5)
				hospitals/healthcare facilities
(6)
				critical care units
(7) use of
				public safety agencies
(8) use of
				private agencies
(9) consumer
				participation
(10) accessibility to
				care
(11) transfer of
				patients
(12) standard medical
				record keeping and reporting
(13)
				public information/education and prevention
(14) independent review and evaluation,
				including formal total process improvement programs
(15) disaster linkages
(16) mutual aid agreements