1. (a) After an initial or a follow-up hearing screening is performed, the birthing facility that operates the program, other programs, or other providers shall report the results to the parents. The results are also reported to the attending or primary care physician or other applicable healthcare provider, and with parental consent, any individually-identifying information to the department according to the requirements in Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 47. The results are reported to the department within five business days after the date of birth or the date of discharge. The physician or health care provider attending to the infant who needs follow-up care should direct, track, and coordinate appropriate and necessary care.
2. (b) The follow-up hearing screen should be performed within 30 days from date of discharge from the birthing facility.

3. (c) If the newborn or infant does not pass the follow-up hearing screen, the program or provider performing the screens shall:

   1. (1) assist in coordinating and scheduling a diagnostic audiological evaluation with another program or licensed audiologist who performs these evaluations; and
   2. (2) refer the newborn or infant to Early Childhood Intervention Services, Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services.

4. (d) Unless the newborn or infant has been hospitalized since birth, the diagnostic audiological evaluation must be completed:

   1. (1) no later than the third month of birth; or
   2. (2) upon referral by the newborn's or infant's primary care physician or other applicable health care provider.
5. (e) The program, person, or provider that identified or diagnosed the newborn or infant with hearing loss shall refer the family for Part C Early Childhood Intervention services, in accordance with 34 Code of Federal Regulations §303.303(a)(2)(i) (relating to Referral Procedures) as soon as possible, but in no case more than seven days after the child has been identified and not later than the sixth month after birth and through the time the child is an infant, unless the infant has been hospitalized since birth. A referral can come from a primary referral resource identified in §303.303(c) (relating to Primary Referral Sources).

6. (f) Audiologists, hospitals, physicians, health care providers, qualified hearing screeners, early childhood intervention specialists, educators, and others who receive referrals from programs under this subchapter shall either provide the needed services or refer the newborn or infant to appropriate services in accordance with the most recent JCIH guidelines. With parental consent, these providers shall report the following information to the department's TEHDI MIS. These providers may also track the activities and progress of the infant and obtain information from the TEHDI MIS relating to:

   1. (1) results of each hearing screening performed;
   2. (2) results of all follow-up care and services;
   3. (3) results of each diagnostic audiological evaluation;
   4. (4) reports on initiation and results of intervention services;
   5. (5) reports on the initiation of Part C Early Childhood Intervention services; and

   6. (6) case-level (patient) information necessary to report required statistics to the:

      1. (A) Maternal and Child Health Bureau/Health Resources and Services Administration on an annual basis; and
      2. (B) federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Source Note:The provisions of this §37.505 adopted to be effective May 14, 2015, 40 TexReg 2534.