June 18, 2024 Stakeholder Meeting: General Rule Updates to 6 CCR 1011-1, Chapter 22 -Birth Centers

 

To: All Stakeholders interested in General Rule Updates to 6 CCR 1011-1, Chapter 22 - Birth Centers  From: HFEMSD Thank you to everyone who has participated in monthly meetings to make general updates to Chapter 22 - Birth Centers. We deeply value your participation and expertise. In response to feedback received during our last stakeholder meeting, the Department is making some changes to the stakeholder process and proposed topic schedule.  First, stakeholders voiced concern that there would not be enough time to fully review and revise Chapter 22 - Birth Centers in the remaining meetings scheduled through August. The Department made a request to the Board of Health to extend monthly meetings to allow for continued discussion of necessary revisions to Chapter 22 per stakeholder request and is excited to share that additional meetings have been officially approved by the Board. We will be having 2 additional meetings on the fourth Tuesday in September and October. This will push the request for rulemaking hearing to November with a hearing in January.  Second, stakeholders voiced concern that there would not be enough time to fully review current FGI Guidelines before submitting comments to the Department and discussing revision of rule language. In order to allow more time for stakeholders to review the Department’s copy of the 2022 edition of the FGI Guidelines, the Department has moved discussion of FGI and the “Physical Plant Standards” Section of Chapter 22 from June to August. This will allow 2 additional months for stakeholders to come to the Department to view the Department’s copy of the FGI Guidelines and prospectively consider language revisions, concerns, and questions. The Department is also investigating alternative ways for stakeholders to view the FGI Guidelines, and are waiting to hear back on whether there are options we can offer for additional viewing. In collaboration with our FGI review team, we are also reviewing past birth center reviews to identify any frequently-seen issues or specific provisions that have caused problems. These efforts will hopefully help ensure the FGI discussion is able to get to the heart of any concerns and identify if any exemptions/exceptions should be made. In the meantime, if you would like to schedule a time to visit the Department to view the book outside of stakeholder meetings, please contact Nicola Koepnick at nicola.koepnick@state.co.us or Francile Beights at francile.beights@state.co.us.  Rescheduling the FGI discussion for August will allow us to revisit previously discussed Sections of the rules. Based on stakeholder discussion, the Department proposes revisiting portions of the Sections on Staffing and Personnel, Emergency Care and Transfers, Client Care, and Client Registration, Admissions, and Discharge in June. What we do not get through in that meeting will then roll to the next meeting, so that all topics have thorough review. To review an updated tentative topic schedule, please select the Stakeholder Information Letter in the public folder. The Department is considering additional ways to foster discussion and collaboration during meetings. If you have any ideas, recommendations, requests, or suggestions for our next meeting, please do not hesitate to contact Department staff.  Stakeholder meetings for the Chapter 22 general rule updates are being held on the third Tuesday of each month, from February 2024 through August 2024. In September 2024 and October 2024, meetings will be held on the fourth Tuesday of the month. All stakeholder meetings are open to the public, and all interested parties are welcome to attend and provide input. Additionally, all stakeholders may provide input and are welcome to submit written comments to the Department at any time throughout the stakeholder process. The fifth stakeholder meeting will take place on June 18, 2024, from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Please note meetings have been extended for an additional hour to allow for more robust discussion of upcoming topics. This meeting will be a hybrid meeting, with an option to attend either in-person or remotely, via Zoom, to ensure equal access for participation, regardless of geographic location of the attendee.  The in-person meeting will be at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment main campus, 4300 Cherry Creek S Drive, Denver, CO 80246, in Building B, Room B1F. This room is located on the first floor of Building B. For instructions to access the building on the day of the meeting, please select the room access instructions located in the public meeting folder. If you are planning to attend in-person, please send an email to nicola.koepnick@state.co.us. When- Tuesday, June 18, 2024, from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.  Where- This meeting will be held in hybrid format.  Colorado Department of Public Health Main Campus. 4300 Cherry Creek S Drive, Denver, CO 80246.  Building B Room B1F. Or Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85317297494 Meeting ID: 853 1729 7494 All who are interested are welcome to attend and participate. Meeting documents, including agendas, proposed rule language, presentations, etc., will be posted to the public meeting folder no later than a week before each meeting.  Notice of each meeting is provided to facilities through the Division’s portal messaging system roughly two weeks in advance of each meeting. Notice will also be emailed directly to all individuals who sign up to receive such messages. Please sign up here. Please feel free to share this link with other interested parties. If you have any questions or comments prior to the June meeting of the Birth Center General Rule Updates Stakeholder Group, please contact Francile Beights at francile.beights@state.co.us.  .