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)
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. Andy Bowman
Neonatologist from rural area
Midland
Dr. Sadhana Chheda
Neonatologist in Level III or IV NICU
El Paso
Stephanie Ferguson, RN
Rural Hospital representative
Childress
Dr. Lisa Glenn
Ex-officio
Austin
Dr. Alice Gong
General hospital representative
San Antonio
Dr. Charleta Guillory
Pediatrician
Houston
Allen Harrison
Representative from a hospital with Level II NICU
Austin
Dr. Lisa Hollier
Obstetrics-gynecology
Houston
Dara Lankford, RN
Nurse with expertise in perinatal health
Ft. Worth
Dr. Alyssa Molina
Family medicine physician who provides obstetrical care in a rural community
Eagle Lake
Dr. Patrick Ramsey
Maternal fetal medicine
San Antonio
Karen Rhodes, RN
Nurse with expertise in maternal health
Brownsville
Saundra Rivers, RN
Rural Hospital Representative
Sweetwater
Dr. George Saade
Maternal fetal medicine
Galveston
Dr. Michael Stanley
Neonatologist
Richardson
Dr. Eugene Toy
Obstetrics-gynecology
Houston
Steve Woerner
Children's hospital representative
Corpus Christi
Meetings
- February 12, 2020, 10:30 a.m. Room 10 of Morton Bldg.
- June 16, 2020, 10:30 a.m. Public Hearing Room, Brown-Heatly Bldg.
- September 15, 10:30 a.m. Public Hearing Room, Brown-Heatly Bldg.
- November 17, 10:30 a.m. Public Hearing Room, Brown-Heatly Bldg.
For More Information
Contact us at 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