Senate Bill S5283

                                BILL NUMBER:S5283

TITLE OF BILL:

An act
to amend the public health law, in relation to notifying hospital
patients upon intake of reports of hospital-acquired infections

PURPOSE:

Provides for notification to hospital patients upon intake of reports
of hospital-acquired infections.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one amends section 2819 of the public health law by adding a
new subdivision 6-a to mandate that no later than one hundred eighty
days after the issuance of the reports required pursuant to
subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (c) of subdivision five of this
section, each general hospital shall be required to notify patients
as a component of prebooking, intake and registration of the
hospital-acquired infections, that would be required to be reported
to the department pursuant to this section, that occurred in the
hospital for the prior thirty day period.
Such notification shall be updated on a daily basis and shall be
accomplished through the conspicuous posting of signs, which are
              

easily understandable by the general public.

Section two requires that this act shall take effect immediately.

JUSTIFICATION:

While great strides have been made toward ensuring the safety of
patients in New York State, further steps must be taken to guarantee
that patients treated in hospitals are protected. By requiring the
notification to patients upon intake of reports of hospital-acquired
infections, and updating notifications daily, it increases the
standards for improved public protection. A Public Health Report
released in April of 2007 found that there is an estimated 4.5
hospital infections for every 100 patient admissions and nearly
100,000 deaths from hospital infection. It has been found that
hospital-acquired infections remain highly prevalent because health
care facilities have not taken a proactive approach to the issue.
According to American Journal of Infection Control, treating
hospital-acquired infections can cost as much as $4.2 billion
annually, which is an amount far greater than the long-term cost of
prevention strategies.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2010: S.496  - Referred to Health/A.2987  - Referred to Health
2009: S.496  - Referred to Health/A.2987  - Referred to Health
2009: S.6187 - Referred to Health/A.10376 - Referred to Health
2007: S.6187 - Referred to Rules

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:


None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect immediately.