(1) The department shall establish and implement a plan for achieving continuous quality improvement in the quality of care provided under a statewide system for heart attack response and treatment by designating licensed hospitals as:
(a) Level I Comprehensive Cardiac Center; (b) Level II Primary Heart Attack Center; or (c) Level III Acute Heart Attack Ready.

Terms Used In Kentucky Statutes 211.341

  • Treatment: when used in a criminal justice context, means targeted interventions
    that focus on criminal risk factors in order to reduce the likelihood of criminal behavior. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010

(2) A hospital may apply to the department in order to be recognized as Level I Comprehensive Cardiac Center, Level II Primary Heart Attack Center, or Level III Acute Heart Attack Ready hospital. If a hospital applies for recognition, it shall demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the department, that the hospital meets the applicable criteria set forth in KRS § 211.340 to KRS § 211.343.
(3) (a) A Level I Comprehensive Cardiac Center is a hospital that is certified as a Comprehensive Cardiac Center hospital by any certifying body which is a nationally recognized guidelines-based organization that provides comprehensive cardiac center certification for heart attack care. Each hospital shall maintain an active certification.
(b) The department shall recognize any hospital as a Level I Comprehensive
Cardiac Center if it meets the criteria established in this subsection.
(4) (a) A Level II Primary Heart Attack Center is a hospital that is certified as a Primary Heart Attack Center by any certifying body which is a nationally recognized guidelines-based organization that provides primary heart attack center certification for heart attack care. Each hospital shall maintain an active certification.
(b) The department shall recognize any hospital as a Level II Primary Heart
Attack Center if it meets the criteria established in this subsection.
(5) (a) A Level III Acute Heart Attack Ready hospital is a hospital that is certified as Acute Heart Attack Ready by any certifying body which is a nationally recognized guidelines-based organization that provides acute heart attack ready certification for heart attack care. Each hospital shall maintain an active certification.
(b) The department shall recognize any hospital as a Level III Acute Heart Attack
Center if it meets the criteria established in this subsection.
(6) Level I Comprehensive Cardiac Centers, Level II Primary Heart Attack Centers, and Level III Acute Heart Attack Ready hospitals are encouraged to coordinate, through a coordinating heart attack care agreement, within their service area to provide appropriate access to care for acute heart attack patients. A coordinating heart attack care agreement shall be in writing and include at a minimum:
(a) Transfer protocols for the transport and acceptance of heart attack patients for treatment therapies which the transferring facility is not capable of providing; and
(b) Communication criteria and protocols that include but are not limited to telemedicine systems.
(7) The department may suspend or revoke a hospital’s designation as Level I Comprehensive Cardiac Center, Level II Primary Heart Attack Center, or Level III Acute Heart Attack Ready if the department determines that the hospital is not in compliance with the requirements of KRS § 211.340 to KRS § 211.343.
Effective: July 14, 2022
History: Created 2022 Ky. Acts ch. 115, sec. 2, effective July 14, 2022.