Iowa Admin. Code r. 641-150.10 - [Effective 7/1/2025] Prohibited acts
A hospital that imparts or conveys, or causes to be imparted or conveyed, that it is a participating hospital in Iowa's regionalized system of perinatal health care, or that uses any other term, such as a designated level of care, to indicate or imply that the hospital is a participating hospital in the regionalized system of perinatal health care without having obtained a certificate of verification from the department is subject to licensure disciplinary action by the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing, as well as to the application by the director to the district court for a writ of injunction to restrain the use of the term or terms "Level I maternal care or neonatal care hospital," "Level II maternal care or neonatal care hospital," "Level III maternal care or neonatal care hospital" and "Level IV maternal care or neonatal care hospital" in relation to the provision of perinatal health care services.
Notes
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(1) Upon receipt of the levels-of-care assessment tool and the on-site survey results, if required, the department shall within 30 days issue its decision to grant or deny the hospital a certificate of verification . The department may deny verification or may give a citation and warning, place on probation, suspend, or revoke existing verification if the department finds reason to believe the hospital 's perinatal care program has not been or will not be operated in compliance with these rules. The denial, citation and warning, period of probation, suspension or revocation shall be effected and may be appealed in accordance with the requirements of Iowa Code section 17A.12.
(2) All complaints regarding the operation of a participating hospital 's perinatal care program shall be reported to the department and to the department of inspections and appeals.
(3) Complaints and the investigative process shall be treated as confidential to the extent they are protected by Iowa Code sections 22.7 and 135.11(27).
(4) Complaint investigations may result in the department 's issuance of a notice of denial, citation and warning, probation, suspension or revocation.
(5) Notice of denial, citation and warning, probation, suspension or revocation shall be effected in accordance with the requirements of Iowa Code section 17A.12. Notice to the hospital of denial, citation and warning, probation, suspension or revocation shall be served by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by personal service.
(6) Any request for a hearing concerning the denial, citation and warning, probation, suspension or revocation shall be submitted by the aggrieved party in writing to the department by certified mail, return receipt requested, within 20 days of the receipt of the department 's notice to take action. The address is: Iowa Department of Public Health, Bureau of Family Health, Regionalized System of Perinatal Health Care Coordinator, 321 East 12th Street, Lucas State Office Building, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0075. If the request is made within the 20-day time period, the notice to take action shall be deemed to be suspended pending the hearing. Prior to or at the hearing, the department may rescind the notice upon satisfaction that the reason for the denial, citation and warning, probation, suspension or revocation has been or will be removed. If no request for a hearing is received within the 20-day time period, the department 's notice of denial, citation and warning, probation, suspension or revocation shall become the department 's final agency action.
(7) Upon receipt of a request for hearing, the request shall be forwarded within five working days to the department of inspections and appeals pursuant to the rules adopted by that agency regarding the transmission of contested cases. The information upon which the adverse action is based and any additional information, which may be provided by the aggrieved party, shall also be provided to the department of inspections and appeals.
(8) The hearing shall be conducted according to the procedural rules of the department of inspections and appeals found in 481-Chapter 10, Iowa Administrative Code.
(9) When the administrative law judge makes a proposed decision and order, it shall be served by certified mail, return receipt requested, or delivered by personal service. That proposed decision and order then becomes the department 's final agency action without further proceedings ten days after it is received by the aggrieved party unless an appeal to the director is taken.
(10) Any appeal to the director for review of the proposed decision and order of the administrative law judge shall be filed in writing and mailed to the director by certified mail, return receipt requested, or delivered by personal service within ten days after the receipt of the administrative law judge's proposed decision and order by the aggrieved party. A copy of the appeal shall also be mailed to the administrative law judge. Any request for an appeal shall state the reason for appeal.
(11) Upon receipt of an appeal request, the administrative law judge shall prepare the record of the hearing for submission to the director . The record shall include the following:
a. All pleadings, motions, and rules.
b. All evidence received or considered and all other submissions by recording or transcript.
c. A statement of all matters officially noticed.
d. All questions and offers of proof, objections and rulings on them.
e. All proposed findings and exceptions.
f The proposed decision and order of the administrative law judge.
(12) The decision and order of the director becomes the department 's final agency action upon receipt by the aggrieved party and shall be delivered by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by personal service.
(13) It is not necessary to file an application for a rehearing to exhaust administrative remedies when appealing to the director or the district court as provided in Iowa Code section 17A.19. The aggrieved party to the final agency action of the department who has exhausted all administrative remedies may petition for judicial review of that action pursuant to Iowa Code chapter 17A.
(14) Any petition for judicial review of a decision and order shall be filed in the district court within 30 days after the decision and order becomes final. A copy of the notice of appeal shall be sent to the department by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by personal service. The address is: Iowa Department of Public Health, Bureau of Family Health, Regionalized System of Perinatal Health Care Coordinator, 321 East 12th Street, Lucas State Office Building, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0075.
(15) The party who appeals a final agency action to the district court shall pay the cost of the preparation of a transcript of the contested case hearing for the district court.
(16) Final decisions of the department relating to disciplinary proceedings may be transmitted to the department of inspections and appeals and to the appropriate professional associations or news media.