CMS wants viewpoints from patient advocates, hospitals and physicians You could have a hand in shaping hospitals'responsi-bilities under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is taking your nominations for a technical advisory group that could change how physicians and hospitals manage emergency department patients.
CMS claims the advisory group, which the reform bill mandates, will go a long way toward striking a regulatory balance among patients, hospitals and physicians. "Last year, the department took an important first step by clarifying and simplifying our EMTALA regulations to protect patient rights and give clear guidance to providers. I have every expectation that this advisory group will have additional ideas for us to further improve the regulations," said CMS Administrator Mark McClellan. According to the May 28 Federal Register, the following representatives will make up the advisory group:
four hospital representatives, at least one of which must be public
seven practicing physicians from emergency medicine, cardiology or cardiothoracic surgery, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, pediatrics or a pediatric subspecialty, obstetrics-gynecology, and psychiatry
two patient representatives
two CMS regional office staff involved with EMTALA investigations
one state survey agency representative
one representative from a quality improvement organization. Send nominations to CMS by July 12, 2004. To read the notice go to
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a040528c.html.
