§ 63-1-233. Providers as state employees - Protection from liability - Employment contracts.  


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  • A.  Persons licensed to practice medicine and surgery or who are licensed osteopathic physicians and surgeons or who are certified nurse-midwives, advanced nurse practitioners and who provide prenatal, delivery, infant care services and other child or adult health services to State Department of Health clients pursuant to and in strict compliance with all terms of a contract with the State Department of Health authorized by paragraph 3 of subsection B of Section 1-106 of this title, shall be considered employees of the state for purposes of The Governmental Tort Claims Act only, but only insofar as actions within the employee's scope of employment as specified by the terms of the contract.

    B.  Such contracts shall provide that any prenatal, delivery and infant care services rendered by the provider shall fully comply with the Standards for Ambulatory Obstetrical Care of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Perinatal Care Guidelines of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Academy of Pediatrics as adopted and incorporated into the Standards and Guidelines for Public Providers of Maternity Services of the State Department of Health in order to entitle the provider to the limited liability provided by subsection A of this section.

    C.  Any contract executed pursuant to this section shall state with specificity, the exact services to be provided and the particular services which shall entitle the provider to the limited liability provided by subsection A of this section.

    D.  Any services provided or contracts entered into pursuant to this act shall include only those activities designed to promote the healthiest possible outcomes for mother and child.  The prenatal and postnatal services provided with these funds shall be used solely to provide health care services for pregnant women, decrease infant mortality and facilitate the birth of a live child.  For purposes of this act, “health care services” does not include abortion, abortion referral, or abortion counseling.  This subsection shall be inseverable from this section.

Added by Laws 1991, c. 250, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1991.  Amended by Laws 2005, c. 211, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2005.