Arkansas Code
Subchapter 11 - Newborn Infant Hearing Screening Program
§ 20-15-1103. Creation

(a) There is established in the Department of Health a program to be known as the “Newborn Infant Hearing Screening Program”. The program shall provide for the early identification and follow-up of newborn infants at risk.
(b) The program shall include:
(1) Development through the promulgation of rules and criteria or factors to identify those newborn infants who are at risk for hearing impairment or of developing a progressive hearing impairment;
(2) Creation of a Hearing Impairment Registry to include, but not be limited to, the identification of newborn infants at risk for hearing impairment, infants with hearing impairment, and infants at risk of developing a progressive hearing impairment;
(3) Development of a hearing impairment at-risk questionnaire. The instrument shall be provided by the department to hospitals, birthing centers, and lay midwives for use in the program;
(4) Development of appropriate written materials regarding hearing impairment. The materials shall be provided to hospitals, birthing centers, and lay midwives for their use in the program;
(5) Development of a means of establishing contact with parents, guardians, and physicians of newborn infants with hearing impairment, of newborn infants at risk, and of infants at risk of developing a progressive hearing impairment;
(6) Establishment of a telephone hotline to communicate information about hearing impairment, hearing screening, audiological evaluation, and other services for infants with hearing impairment;
(7) Development of a screening report to be used by all facilities screening infants for hearing impairment to provide information to the department for a tracking system for newborn infants at risk; and
(8) A data collection system.

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