(a) Every fire station/EMS, and emergency medical facility shall accept and provide all necessary emergency services and care to a relinquished newborn infant or shall obtain emergency medical services by calling for EMS in accordance with this subchapter. After the relinquishment of a newborn infant to a fire station/EMS, the fire station shall arrange for the transportation of the newborn infant to the nearest hospital as soon as transportation can be arranged.
(b) Every police station shall accept a relinquished newborn infant, in accordance with this subchapter. After the relinquishment of a newborn infant to a police station, the police station shall arrange for the transportation of the newborn infant to the nearest hospital as soon as transportation can be arranged.
(c) Every hospital shall accept and provide all necessary emergency services and care to a relinquished newborn infant, in accordance with this subchapter. The hospital shall examine a relinquished newborn infant and perform tests that, based on reasonable medical judgment, are appropriate for evaluating whether the relinquished newborn infant was abused or neglected.(1) The act of relinquishing a newborn infant serves as implied consent for the hospital and its medical personnel and physicians on staff to treat and provide care for the newborn infant.(2) For any day that a hospital has custody of a newborn infant relinquished in accordance with this subchapter, the Department shall pay the hospital the current Medicaid general acute care daily inpatient rate.(3) The hospital is deemed to have temporary physical custody of a relinquished newborn infant until the newborn is discharged to the custody of the Virgin Islands Department of Human Services.
(1) The act of relinquishing a newborn infant serves as implied consent for the hospital and its medical personnel and physicians on staff to treat and provide care for the newborn infant.
(2) For any day that a hospital has custody of a newborn infant relinquished in accordance with this subchapter, the Department shall pay the hospital the current Medicaid general acute care daily inpatient rate.
(3) The hospital is deemed to have temporary physical custody of a relinquished newborn infant until the newborn is discharged to the custody of the Virgin Islands Department of Human Services.
(d) If either the relinquishing or non-relinquishing parent of a newborn infant returns to reclaim the child after relinquishing the infant to a Safe Haven Provider, staff shall inform the parent to contact the Virgin Islands Department of Human Services. A Safe Haven Provider may not in any circumstance give the infant back to the relinquishing or non-relinquishing parent.