Colorado Revised Statutes Title 25. Health § 25-52-104. Colorado maternal mortality review committee--creation--members--duties--report to the general assembly

(a) Reviewing specific cases of maternal death that occur in Colorado;

(b) Identifying the causes of maternal mortality; and

(c) Developing recommendations to address preventable maternal deaths, including legislation, policies, rules, training, and best practices that will support the health and safety of the pregnant and postpartum population in Colorado and prevent maternal deaths.

(2)(a) By October 1, 2019, the executive director of the department shall appoint at least eleven members to serve on the committee. The term of appointment is three years; except that the term of the first six members appointed is two years. Members may serve up to three terms. The executive director may fill any vacancies on the committee.

(b) In appointing members to the committee, the executive director shall:

(c) The members of the committee who reside more than fifty miles from the location of a committee hearing are entitled to receive the same per diem compensation and reimbursement of expenses as those provided for members of boards and commissions pursuant to section 12-20-103(6), and for expenses incurred in traveling to and from the meetings of the committee, including any required dependent or attendant travel, food, and lodging. Members of the committee are also entitled to reimbursement for any expenses necessary to support the members' participation at a committee hearing, including any dependent or attendant care.

(a) Review each death in Colorado that is a maternal death;

(b) Review medical records and other relevant data related to each maternal death;

(c) Take steps to improve the quality and scope of data obtained through investigations and review of maternal deaths;

(d) Identify the causes of maternal mortality, including any trends and patterns across racial, geographic, and other groups;

(e) Develop recommendations for the prevention of maternal mortality and deliver the recommendations to the department;

(f) Perform any other functions as resources allow to enhance the capability of the state to reduce and prevent maternal mortality; and

(g) Advise the department in the department's work on decreasing maternal mortality.

(a) Compile reports of aggregated, nonindividually identifiable data on a routine basis for distribution in an effort to further study the causes and problems associated with maternal mortality that may be distributed to policymakers, health-care providers, health facilities, behavioral health providers, public health professionals, the health equity commission created in section 25-4-2206, and others necessary to reduce the maternal mortality rate;

(b) Serve as a link with maternal mortality review teams throughout the country and participate in regional or national maternal mortality review team activities;

(c) Incorporate input and feedback from:

(d) Make recommendations to improve the collection and public reporting of maternal health data from hospitals, health systems, insurers, maternal care providers, pharmacies, local and state law enforcement offices, behavioral health treatment facilities, and substance use disorder treatment facilities, including:

(e) Study the use of research evidence in policies related to the perinatal period in Colorado and, no later than September 1, 2023, report to the senate committee on health and human services and the house of representatives committee on health and insurance, or their successor committees, on the use of research evidence in policies related to the perinatal period in the state, including public and private payment systems and malpractice insurance policies, using the implementation science framework. To fulfill the requirements of this subsection (5)(e), the department may contract with a third party and request information from insurers offering medical malpractice policies in the state regarding the insurer's policies related to labor and delivery services.

(a) Study closures, consolidations, and acquisitions related to perinatal health-care practices and facilities and perinatal state-designated health professional shortage areas, as defined in section 25-1.5-402(11), and assets and deficits related to perinatal health and health-care services across the state, not limited to obstetric providers;

(b) Identify major outcome categories at the clinical, family, community, and provider levels that the department should track over time and identify risks and opportunities related to closures, consolidations, and acquisitions of perinatal health-care practices and facilities;

(c) Explore the effects of practice and facility closures on maternal and infant health outcomes and experiences, to illustrate structural needs around closures, when applicable;

(d) Identify recommendations during practice and facility closures and resultant transfers of care. The department or third-party evaluator may use both primary and secondary data in making the recommendations. The department or third-party evaluator shall use the map created pursuant to subsection (5.5)(f) of this section in developing the recommendations. The recommendations must:

(e) Identify best practice guidelines during practice and facility closures and resultant transfers of care. The third-party evaluator may use both primary and secondary data in identifying the best practice guidelines. The third-party evaluator shall use the map created pursuant to subsection (5.5)(f) of this section in developing the guidelines. The guidelines must consider the following areas: Risks and opportunities; transfers of care; community notice needs and opportunities; notification to the department; closure timeline; and resources needed by facilities, providers, and families.

(f) Create a health professional shortage area and perinatal health services assets and deficits asset map that identifies by perinatal service area:

(g) By July 1, 2026, deliver the best practices and recommendations created pursuant to this subsection (5.5) to the house of representatives health and human services committee and the senate health and human services committee, or their successor committees.

(6)(a) No later than July 1, 2020, and July 1 every three years thereafter, the department shall submit a report to the house of representatives committees on public and behavioral health and human services and health and insurance and the senate committee on health and human services, or their successor committees. The report must include:

(b) The department shall post the report prepared in accordance with this subsection (6) on its website.

(c) Notwithstanding section 24-1-136(11)(a)(I), the reporting required by this subsection (6) continues indefinitely.