State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ Engrossed ][ House Amendment 001 ]

90_HB0214enr

      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
HB0214 Enrolled                               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 any a facility that:
12             (1)  is  located:  (i)  in  a  municipality  with  a
13        population of 60,000 50,000 or  fewer  inhabitants;  (ii)
14        either  in  a  municipality  that has a hospital that has
15        been providing emergency  services  but  is  expected  to
16        close by the end of 1997 or in a county with a population
17        of  more  than 350,000 but less than 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
HB0214 Enrolled             -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
HB0214 Enrolled             -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
HB0214 Enrolled             -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, 1999 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 and
16    sunset on September  1,  2001  2000.   The  Department  shall
17    submit   a   report   concerning  the  effectiveness  of  the
18    demonstration program to the General Assembly by September 1,
19    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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