Before providing services, a free-standing birth center must have a current license issued under 7 AAC 12.605 - 7 AAC 12.610. In addition to meeting the requirements of 7 AAC 12.605 - 7 AAC 12.610, the applicant shall provide the following information with the initial application for a license, and with each application for renewal:

1. (1) identification of the proposed service area;

2. (2) an assessment of the demographic data and vital statistics of the community served, including

   1. (A) the population to be served;
   2. (B) environmental factors that might affect access to the birth center or transfer to a hospital;

   3. (C) availability of and access to maternal and newborn services, including

      1. (i) practitioners;
      2. (ii) hospital obstetrics and newborn services;
      3. (iii) home birth services;
      4. (iv) family-centered maternity care programs;
      5. (v) birth rooms and suites;
      6. (vi) clinics for disadvantaged families;
      7. (vii) laboratory services;
      8. (viii) supplementary social and welfare services;
      9. (ix) childbirth education; and
      10. (x) parent support programs;
   4. (D) the birth center's impact on the community and the needs of childbearing families in the population served; and

   5. (E) for an application for license renewal,

      1. (i) changes in the demographic data and vital statistics under (A) - (C) of this paragraph since the previous application was submitted;
      2. (ii) the number of births at the birth center during the previous 12 months;
      3. (iii) the number of births with complications that required transfer of the newborn to a hospital during the previous 12 months; and
      4. (iv) the number of births with complications that required transfer of the client to a hospital during the previous 12 months.

(Eff. 9/30/2007, Register 183)

Authority: AS 47.32.010, AS 47.32.040, AS 47.32.110, AS 47.32.020, AS 47.32.050, AS 47.32.030, AS 47.32.100