State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Engrossed ][ Enrolled ][ House Amendment 001 ]

90_HB0214

      210 ILCS 50/32.5
          Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems  Act.
      With   respect  to  the  qualifications  for  a  freestanding
      emergency center license, allows  a  center  to  be  located,
      subject  to  certain  other  requirements,  in   either (i) a
      municipality that has a  hospital  that  has  been  providing
      emergency  services  but  is  expected to close by the end of
      1997, or (ii) a   county  with  a  population  of  more  than
      350,000  but  less  than  1,000,000  inhabitants.   Effective
      immediately.
                                                    LRB9000846EGfgA
                                              LRB9000846EGfgA
 1        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
 2    Systems Act by changing Section 32.5.
 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section  5.  The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems
 6    Act is amended by changing Section 32.5 as follows:
 7        (210 ILCS 50/32.5)
 8        Sec. 32.5.  Freestanding Emergency Center;  demonstration
 9    program.
10        (a)  The  Department  shall  issue an annual Freestanding
11    Emergency Center (FEC) license to a facility that:
12             (1)  is  located:  (i)  in  a  municipality  with  a
13        population of 50,000 or fewer inhabitants; (ii) either in
14        a  municipality  that  has  a  hospital  that  has   been
15        providing  emergency services but is expected to close by
16        the end of 1997 or in a county with a population of  more
17        than 350,000 but less than 1,000,000 500,000 inhabitants;
18        (iii)  within  15  miles  of  the  hospital  that owns or
19        controls the  FEC;  and  (iv)  within  10  miles  of  the
20        Resource  Hospital affiliated with the FEC as part of the
21        EMS System;
22             (2)  is wholly owned or controlled by  an  Associate
23        or Resource Hospital, but is not a part of the hospital's
24        physical plant;
25             (3)  meets  the standards for licensed FECs, adopted
26        by rule of the Department, including, but not limited to:
27                  (A)  facility design, specification, operation,
28             and maintenance standards;
29                  (B)  equipment standards; and
30                  (C)  the number and qualifications of emergency
31             medical  personnel  and  other  staff,  which   must
                            -2-               LRB9000846EGfgA
 1             include  at  least  one  board  certified  emergency
 2             physician present at the FEC 24 hours per day.
 3             (4)  limits  its  participation  in  the  EMS System
 4        strictly to receiving a limited number  of  BLS  runs  by
 5        emergency   medical   vehicles   according  to  protocols
 6        developed by  the  Resource  Hospital  within  the  FEC's
 7        designated EMS System and approved by the Project Medical
 8        Director and the Department;
 9             (5)  provides   comprehensive   emergency  treatment
10        services,  as  defined  in  the  rules  adopted  by   the
11        Department  pursuant  to  the  Hospital Licensing Act, 24
12        hours per day, on an outpatient basis;
13             (6)  provides an ambulance  and  maintains  on  site
14        ambulance  services  staffed with paramedics 24 hours per
15        day;
16             (7)  maintains   helicopter   landing   capabilities
17        approved by appropriate State and federal authorities;
18             (8)  complies with all  State  and  federal  patient
19        rights  provisions,  including,  but  not limited to, the
20        Emergency Medical Treatment Act and the federal Emergency
21        Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act;
22             (9)  maintains a communications system that is fully
23        integrated with its Resource Hospital  within  the  FEC's
24        designated EMS System;
25             (10)  reports   to   the   Department   any  patient
26        transfers from the FEC to a hospital within 48  hours  of
27        the  transfer  plus  any  other  data  determined  to  be
28        relevant by the Department;
29             (11)  submits  to  the  Department,  on  a quarterly
30        basis,  the  FEC's  morbidity  and  mortality  rates  for
31        patients treated at the FEC and other data determined  to
32        be relevant by the Department;
33             (12)  does not describe itself or hold itself out to
34        the general public as a full service hospital or hospital
                            -3-               LRB9000846EGfgA
 1        emergency  department  in  its  advertising  or marketing
 2        activities;
 3             (13)  complies with any other rules adopted  by  the
 4        Department under this Act that relate to FECs;
 5             (14)  passes  the  Department's  site inspection for
 6        compliance with the FEC requirements of this Act;
 7             (15)  submits a copy of a  certificate  of  need  or
 8        other  permit  issued  by  the Illinois Health Facilities
 9        Planning Board indicating that  the  facility  that  will
10        house   the  proposed  FEC  complies  with  State  health
11        planning  laws;  provided,  however,  that  the  Illinois
12        Health  Facilities  Planning  Board  shall   waive   this
13        certificate   of  need  or  permit  requirement  for  any
14        proposed FEC that, as  of  the  effective  date  of  this
15        amendatory  Act of 1996, meets the criteria for providing
16        comprehensive emergency treatment services, as defined by
17        the rules promulgated under the Hospital  Licensing  Act,
18        but is not a licensed hospital;
19             (16)  submits  an  application for designation as an
20        FEC in a manner and form prescribed by the Department  by
21        rule; and
22             (17)  pays  the  annual license fee as determined by
23        the Department by rule.
24        (b)  The Department shall:
25             (1)  annually  inspect  facilities  of  initial  FEC
26        applicants and licensed FECs, and issue  annual  licenses
27        to   or   annually   relicense   FECs  that  satisfy  the
28        Department's  licensure  requirements  as  set  forth  in
29        subsection (a);
30             (2)  suspend, revoke, refuse to issue, or refuse  to
31        renew  the  license  of  any  FEC,  after  notice  and an
32        opportunity for a hearing, when the Department finds that
33        the FEC has failed  to  comply  with  the  standards  and
34        requirements   of   the  Act  or  rules  adopted  by  the
                            -4-               LRB9000846EGfgA
 1        Department under the Act;
 2             (3)  issue an Emergency Suspension Order for any FEC
 3        when the Director or his or her designee  has  determined
 4        that   the  continued  operation  of  the  FEC  poses  an
 5        immediate  and  serious  danger  to  the  public  health,
 6        safety, and welfare.  An opportunity for a hearing  shall
 7        be promptly initiated after an Emergency Suspension Order
 8        has been issued; and
 9             (4)  adopt   rules   as  needed  to  implement  this
10        Section.
11        (c)  The FEC demonstration program shall be conducted for
12        an initial period concluding on September 1,  1998.   If,
13        by   that   date,  the  Department  determines  that  the
14        demonstration program is operating in a manner consistent
15        with the purposes of this Act, the program shall continue
16        and sunset on September 1, 2000.   The  Department  shall
17        submit  a  report  concerning  the  effectiveness  of the
18        demonstration  program  to  the   General   Assembly   by
19        September 1, 2000.
20        An  FEC  license  issued  pursuant  to this Section shall
21    expire upon the termination of the demonstration program.
22    (Source: P.A. 89-516, eff. 7-18-96.)
23        Section 99. Effective date.  This Act takes  effect  upon
24    becoming law.

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