NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on April 29, 2010, the Florida Department of Health, Division of Emergency Medical Operations, Office of Trauma, received a petition for emergency variance from or waiver of portions of subsections 64J-2.010(2), (3), paragraph 64J-2.012(1)(a) and subsections 64J-2.013(6), (7), Florida Administrative Code, from Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, Inc.
Nature of Rules: Sets forth the maximum number of trauma centers allocated for each trauma service area, and specifically sets two as the maximum number of trauma centers allowed for Trauma Service Area (TSA) 1; states the process by which the Department shall accept letters of intent from any acute care general or pediatric hospital wishing to submit a trauma center application, preserving the hospital’s right to complete its trauma center application by the required due date if an available position, as provided in Rule 64J-2.010, F.A.C., exists in the hospital’s TSA; directs the Department to notify the hospital on or before May 1 of the approval or denial of the hospital’s trauma application extension request; and states that the Department shall make a final determination on whether to approve or deny a hospital’s extension request after it has been determined that the number of trauma centers in the hospital’s TSA is less than the allocated number of positions available for that TSA.
The petitioner is requesting a temporary variance from or waiver of the above-described portions of Rules 64J-2.010, 64J-2.012 and 64J-2.013, F.A.C., until the earlier of: a) the date of final, non-appealable adoption of a rule amendment increasing the number of trauma centers allocated for TSA 1; or, b) October 1, 2011, the expiration date of the requested trauma application extension period.
All comments regarding this emergency petition must be received in writing by May 19, 2010.
A copy of the Petition for Variance or Waiver may be obtained by contacting: Susan McDevitt, Director, Office of Trauma, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin C-18, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1738, (850)245-4440, ext. 2760, Fax: (850)488-2512, susan_mcdevitt@doh.state.fl.us.