1. A. The hospital shall have a hand and upper extremity physician trauma team that shall include at least eight physicians who are Board-eligible or Board-certified in the following specialties:

   1. (1) General surgery;
   2. (2) Plastic surgery; or
   3. (3) Orthopedic surgery.
2. B. A member of the hand and upper extremity physician trauma team shall be on call 24 hours a day with a response time of 30 minutes or less.
3. C. As back-up, a second member of the hand and upper extremity physician trauma team shall be on call 24 hours a day with a response time of 30 minutes or less.

4. D. The physicians who satisfy §A of this regulation shall also hold or be eligible to hold a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Hand Surgery through:

   1. (1) The American Board of Orthopedic Surgery;
   2. (2) The American Board of Plastic Surgery; or
   3. (3) The American Board of Surgery.

5. E. Each member of the hand and upper extremity trauma physician trauma team shall be competent in:

   1. (1) Microsurgery of the upper extremity;
   2. (2) Neurovascular surgery of the upper extremity;
   3. (3) Emergency skeletal reconstruction;
   4. (4) Emergency soft tissue reconstruction; and
   5. (5) Upper limb replantation.
6. F. A call roster for the hand and upper extremity physician trauma team shall be published and available in the emergency department and operating room.

Authority: Education Article, §13-509, Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date: August 13, 2007 (34:16 Md. R. 1433)

Regulation .02A amended effective July 21, 2025 (52:14 Md. R. 714)