WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE: CMOs, CNOs, ED managers, medical directors, ED physicians and nurses, ED education staff, OB managers and nurses, behavioral health directors and staff, nursing supervisors, nurse educators and staff nurses, outpatient directors, quality improvement staff, compliance officers, legal counsel, risk managers, directors of hospital-based ambulance services, directors of registration and staff, on-call physicians, patient safety officers, and joint commission coordinators
OVERVIEW: Medicare-certified hospitals must follow Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) regulations and interpretative guidelines for the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). This three-part webinar series will focus on problematic areas of EMTALA concepts, adequacy of medical screening, and on-call physician issues. Part one will focus on the basic requirements of EMTALA, available resources to hospitals, and EMTALA definitions. Part two will cover EMTALA issues, such as adequacy of medical screening examinations, appropriate transfers, certification of false labor, EMTALA sign issues, and observation, inpatient and outpatient. Part three will focus on physician involvement with the EMTALA process, including on-call physician schedules, on-call physician rules, when an on-call physician must appear in the ED, and how to deal with difficult patient situations, such as leaving against medical advice and leaving without being seen.
PART ONE:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
• Describe basic EMTALA requirements;
• Describe why EMTALA is the most frequently-cited deficiency nationwide;
• Discuss where EMTALA applies in the facility; and
• Review examples of how the hospital can keep current on regulation changes.
PART TWO:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
• Describe an adequate medical screen examination for behavioral health, obstetrics, and other patients;
• Describe an appropriate certification of false labor;
• Illustrate an appropriate transfer and discuss what must be included on the transfer form; and
• Review what language must be on EMTALA signs.
PART THREE:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
• Describe on-call physician rules, including when the on-call physician must appear in the emergency department;
• Describe the Office of Inspector General’s role and recent on-call physician deficiencies and fines;
• Describe the organizational quality-improvement program role with EMTALA; and
• Examine documentation requirements for difficult patient situations.
MEET YOUR FACULTY: Nancy Ruzicka; Speaker Bio
CONTINUING EDUCATION: Nursing: Up to 6.0 contact hours will be awarded for this offering by the Louisiana Hospital Association for complete attendance and evaluation of the program. The LHA is approved by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing – CE Provider #39.
Participants will receive, upon completion of this program and evaluation, a certificate documenting the completed continuing education/clock hours.