The Perinatal Advisory Council, created by House Bill 15 of the 83rd Texas Legislature (Regular Session), develops and recommends criteria for designating levels of neonatal and maternal care, including specifying the minimum requirements to qualify for each level designation and a process for the assignment of levels of care to a hospital, makes recommendations for dividing the state into neonatal and maternal care regions, examines utilization trends in neonatal and maternal care, and recommends ways to improve neonatal and maternal outcomes.
House Bill 3433 of the 84th Texas Legislature (Regular Session) amended House Bill 15 by adding two new members to the Perinatal Advisory Council and extended the date of its report. The council must submit a report with its recommendations to the Health and Human Services Commission and the Department of State Health Services by September 1, 2016. The report was published on time and can be found here:
Perinatal Advisory Council Report on Determinations and Recommendations (PDF)
Upcoming Meetings
- April 24, 2018, 10:30 a.m., Austin, TX
- July 18, 2018, 10:30 a.m., Austin, TX
- September 18, 2018, 10:30 a.m., Austin, TX
- November 6, 2018, 10:30 a.m., Austin, TX
Members
- Dr. Emily Briggs, Chair, family medicine physician who provides obstetrical care in a rural community, New Braunfels
- Dr. Cynthia Blanco, Co-chair, neonatologist in Level III or IV NICU, San Antonio
- Dr. Eugene Toy, Obstetrics-gynecology, Houston
- Dr. Patrick Ramsey, maternal fetal medicine, San Antonio
- Dr. Sadhana Chheda, neonatologist in Level III or IV NICU, El Paso
- Stephanie Ferguson, RN, Rural Hospital Representative, Childress
- Dara Lankford, RN, nurse with expertise in perinatal health, Benbrook
- Dr. Charleta Guillory, pediatrician, Houston
- Allen Harrison, representative from a hospital with Level II NICU, Austin
- Dr. Andy Bowman, neonatologist from rural area, Midland
- Dr. Lisa Hollier, obstetrics-gynecology, Houston
- Dr. Alice Gong, general hospital representative, San Antonio
- Dr. George Saade, maternal fetal medicine, Galveston
- Dr. Michael Stanley, neonatologist, Richardson
- Karen Rhodes, RN, nurse with expertise in maternal health, Brownsville
- Steve Woerner, children’s hospital representative, Corpus Christi
- Dr. Rajendra Parikh, Ex-officio, Austin
- Saundra Rivers, RN, Rural Hospital Representative, Sweetwater
- Dr. Alyssa Molina, family medicine physician who provides obstetrical care in a rural community, Eagle Lake
More Information about the Perinatal Advisory Council:
Please contact Perinatal_Advisory_Council@hhsc.state.tx.us
More information about new Neonatal Levels of Care Rule regarding hospital designation:
http://www.dshs.texas.gov/emstraumasystems/neonatal.aspx
More information about new Maternal Levels of Care Rule regarding hospital designation:
http://www.dshs.texas.gov/emstraumasystems/maternal.aspx
More information about new Centers of Excellence for Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy rule:
http://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=25&pt=1&ch=133&sch=L&rl=Y