98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
SB3432

 

Introduced 2/14/2014, by Sen. Thomas Cullerton

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
210 ILCS 85/6.08  from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 147.08

    Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. Provides that a hospital must give notice to a private emergency medical services provider if a patient has a dangerous or infectious disease. Provides that to determine the diseases for which notification must be provided, the Department of Public Health shall utilize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) list of Potentially Life-Threatening Infectious Disease (instead of establishing a list by regulation). Requires a hospital to provide verbal notice and written notice (instead of only written notice) regarding a patient. Requires a hospital to send a later of notification no later than 48 hours (instead of 72 hours) following a confirmed diagnosis of a bloodborne communicable disease as provided by the CDC. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.


LRB098 19597 RPS 54789 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3432LRB098 19597 RPS 54789 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Hospital Licensing Act is amended by
5changing Section 6.08 as follows:
 
6    (210 ILCS 85/6.08)  (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 147.08)
7    Sec. 6.08.
8    (a) Every hospital shall provide notification as required
9in this Section to police officers, firefighters, emergency
10medical technicians, private emergency medical services
11providers, and ambulance personnel who have provided or are
12about to provide transport services, emergency care, or life
13support services to a patient who has been diagnosed as having
14a dangerous communicable or infectious disease. Such
15notification shall not include the name of the patient, and the
16emergency services provider agency and any person receiving
17such notification shall treat the information received as a
18confidential medical record.
19    (b) The Department shall utilize the Centers for Disease
20Control and Prevention's list of potentially life-threatening
21infectious diseases to determine the diseases for which
22establish by regulation a list of those communicable reportable
23diseases and conditions for which notification shall be

 

 

SB3432- 2 -LRB098 19597 RPS 54789 b

1provided.
2    (c) The hospital shall send the letter of notification no
3later than 48 hours within 72 hours after a confirmed diagnosis
4of any of the bloodborne communicable diseases listed by the
5Department pursuant to subsection (b), except confirmed
6diagnoses of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The If
7there is a confirmed diagnosis of AIDS, the hospital shall
8attempt to make verbal communication, followed by written send
9the letter of notification only if the police officers,
10firefighters, emergency medical technicians, private emergency
11medical services providers, or ambulance personnel have
12indicated both verbally and on the ambulance run sheet that a
13reasonable possibility exists that they have had blood or body
14fluid contact with the patient, or if hospital personnel
15providing the notification have reason to know of a possible
16exposure.
17    (d) Notification letters shall be sent to the designated
18officer contact at the municipal or private provider agencies
19listed on the ambulance run sheet. Except in municipalities
20with a population over 1,000,000, a list attached to the
21ambulance run sheet must contain all municipal and private
22provider agency personnel who have provided any pre-hospital
23care immediately prior to transport. In municipalities with a
24population over 1,000,000, the ambulance run sheet must contain
25the company number or unit designation number for any fire
26department personnel who have provided any pre-hospital care

 

 

SB3432- 3 -LRB098 19597 RPS 54789 b

1immediately prior to transport. The letter shall state the
2names of crew members listed on the attachment to the ambulance
3run sheet and the name of the communicable disease diagnosed,
4but shall not contain the patient's name. Upon receipt of such
5notification letter, the applicable private provider agency or
6the designated infectious disease control officer of a
7municipal fire department or fire protection district shall
8contact all personnel involved in the pre-hospital or
9inter-hospital care and transport of the patient. Such
10notification letter may, but is not required to, consist of the
11following form:
12
NOTIFICATION LETTER
13
(NAME OF HOSPITAL)
14
(ADDRESS)
15    TO:...... (Name of Organization)
16    FROM:.....(Infection Control Coordinator)
17    DATE:.....
18    As required by Section 6.08 of the Illinois Hospital
19Licensing Act, .....(name of hospital) is hereby providing
20notification that the following crew members or agencies
21transported or provided pre-hospital care to a patient on .....
22(date), and the transported patient was later diagnosed as
23having .....(name of communicable disease): .....(list of crew
24members if known). The Hospital Licensing Act requires you to
25maintain this information as a confidential medical record.
26Disclosure of this information may therefore result in civil

 

 

SB3432- 4 -LRB098 19597 RPS 54789 b

1liability for the individual or company breaching the patient's
2confidentiality, or both.
3    If you have any questions regarding this patient, please
4contact me at .....(telephone number), between .....(hours).
5Questions regarding exposure or the financial aspects of
6obtaining medical care should be directed to your employer.
7    (e) Upon discharge of a patient with a communicable disease
8to emergency personnel, the hospital shall notify the emergency
9personnel of appropriate precautions against the communicable
10disease, but shall not identify the name of the disease.
11    (f) The hospital may, in its discretion, take any measures
12in addition to those required in this Section to notify police
13officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and
14ambulance personnel of possible exposure to any communicable
15disease. However, in all cases this information shall be
16maintained as a confidential medical record.
17    (g) Any person providing or failing to provide notification
18under the protocol required by this Section shall have immunity
19from any liability, either criminal or civil, that might result
20by reason of such action or inaction, unless such action or
21inaction is willful.
22    (h) Any person who willfully fails to provide any
23notification required pursuant to an applicable protocol which
24has been adopted and approved pursuant to this Section commits
25a petty offense, and shall be subject to a fine of $200 for the
26first offense, and $500 for a second or subsequent offense.

 

 

SB3432- 5 -LRB098 19597 RPS 54789 b

1    (i) Nothing in this Section shall preclude a civil action
2by a firefighter, emergency medical technician, or ambulance
3crew member against an emergency services provider agency,
4municipal fire department, or fire protection district that
5fails to inform the member in a timely fashion of the receipt
6of a notification letter.
7(Source: P.A. 92-363, eff. 1-1-02.)
 
8    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
9becoming law.