The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA): guidelines for compliance

Every patient presenting to a hospital emergency department must have a medical screening examination to determine whether an emergency medical condition exists. If there is no emergency medical condition, the Act does not apply. Any patient who is found to have an emergency medical condition must be stabilized. If necessary. the appropriate on-call physician must be consulted to administer necessary stabilizing treatment. Once the patient has been stabilized, the Act no longer applies. If a hospital is unable to provide the necessary stabilizing treatment, arrangements must be made for an appropriate transfer to a facility with the capacity to provide treatment. A hospital with specialized capabilities or facilities may not refuse to accept an appropriate transfer of an individual who requires such specialized capabilities or facilities if the hospital has the capacity to treat the individual. If a woman is in active labor and there is insufficient time to effect an appropriate transfer safely. maternal and newborn care must be provided to the woman and her infant.