Miss. Code. tit. 15, pt. 12, subpt. 31, ch. 10, app 15-12-31-10-6
Definitions - Inter-Hospital And Other Medical Facilities Appropriate Transfer - An appropriate transfer to a medical facility is a transfer in which the receiving facility:
a) has available space and qualified personnel for the treatment of the patient, and
b) has agreed to accept transfer of the patient and to provide appropriate medical treatment;
in which the transferring hospital provides the receiving facility with appropriate medical records of the examination and treatment effected at the transferring hospital;
In which the transfer is affected through qualified personnel and transportation equipment, as required including the use of necessary and medically appropriate life support measures during the transfer.
Medical Control During Interhospital Transfers
Once an emergency patient arrives for initial evaluation at a medical facility the patient becomes the responsibility of that facility, and its medical staff. This responsibility continues until the patient is appropriately discharged, or until the patient is transferred and the responsibility is assumed by personnel and a facility of equal or greater capability for the patient's existing condition.
Routine Interhospital Transfers
If a transfer is being made for the convenience of the patient or patient's physicians, and the patient is not receiving treatment, and is expecting to remain stable during transport, the transfer may be conducted by and appropriately trained medical provider (EMT-Basic or higher).
Emergency Interhospital Transfers
Conducted by the Transferring Facility If the patient is being transferred to another facility for other convenience, is receiving treatment, is medically unstable, or is potentially unstable, it is the responsibility of the transferring physician and hospital to provide medical records and assure that appropriately qualified personnel and transportation equipment are utilized. The transferring personnel will act as the agents of the transferring hospital and the physician approving the transfer, regardless of any other employer/employee relationship. The transferring physician must provide written orders to non-physician personnel for use during the interhospital transfer. If the patient experiences complications beyond situations addressed in these written orders, the provider should, if possible.
Contact the transferring hospital or the receiving facility for additional orders or, if necessary, contact a recognized communications resource for medical direction.
Emergency Interhospital Transfers Conducted by Receiving Facility (Transferring personnel are agents of the receiving hospital)
If the transferring personnel include a physician, the patient becomes the responsibility of the receiving facility as soon as the patient leaves the transferring facility. If the transferring team does not include a physician, the responsibility for the patient's well being may be shared between the receiving and transferring facility. The transferring facility retains the responsibility to assure that the transport agency has qualified personnel and transportation equipment.
Critical Care Transfers
If the patient is receiving treatment beyond the scope of practice of available transferring nonphysician providers or if the patient's needs or reasonably perceived needs cannot be managed within the scope of practice of non-physician personnel, the transfer shall be managed by an appropriately trained physician.
Miss. Code. tit. 15, pt. 12, subpt. 31, ch. 10, app 15-12-31-10-6