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Respiratory committee asks Department of Health to review Bella Vista ER where nurses manage ventilators
Summary
Members raised safety concerns after learning a Mercy ER in Bella Vista had no on-site respiratory therapists and relied on nurses to manage ventilators; counsel said the committee lacks facility regulatory authority, and the committee voted to refer the matter to Department of Health facility services.
The Respiratory Care Examining Committee voted to refer reports that a Mercy emergency facility in Bella Vista was operating without on-site respiratory therapists to Facility Services at the Arkansas Department of Health for review.
Committee members described reports from therapists and nurses that the facility—an emergency-only site—has no respiratory therapists and relies on nurses who receive brief training to manage ventilator patients. One committee member warned that relying on immediate transfer to another hospital is not realistic in surge or emergency conditions and said patient safety could be compromised.
The committee's counsel and staff clarified that the committee and its medical board do not have regulatory authority over facilities. A staff member advised the committee that Facility Services at the Department of Health regulates hospitals and could assess whether the facility's staffing and policies comply with applicable rules. "This committee and our board has no authority or regulatory authority over any medical facility," a staff member said; "that needs to be forwarded to facility services at the Department of Health for them to determine."
After discussion, Angela Sanders moved to send the matter to Department of Health Facility Services for guidance; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The committee asked staff to help with wording for the referral and to forward the information so Facility Services can evaluate whether further action is needed.
Next steps: Committee staff will draft and transmit a referral to Department of Health Facility Services for their review of the Bella Vista Mercy facility's staffing and ventilator practices.
