HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 03202001 - C.59 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS :ice: -� CONTRA
COSTA
FROM: John Sweeten, County Administrator COUNTY
DATE: March 20, 2001
SUBJECT: AB 424 (Aroner) - Sponsor
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION(S):
SPONSOR AB 424 (Aroner) which authorizes local emergency medical service agencies to
obtain information on health facilities within their county.
BACKGROUND/REASON(S) FOR RECOMMENDATION(S):
AB 424 (Aroner) would enable the county's emergency medical services agency to obtain
information from general acute care hospitals operating in the county on the availability of
hospital emergency/specialty care seniices for both planning purposes and for management of
ambulance destinations during times of peak demand. AB 424 would also require general acute
care hospitals to provide specified information in a suitable format, manner, and timely fashion as
a condition of its licensure by the state..
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE:
_ RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMME ATION OF bOA OMM17TEE
__L_NPPROVE _OTHER
SIGNATURE(S):Q�'�
ACTION OFBO D N arc 0 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A
XX UNANIMOUS(ABSENT - - - - - -- ) TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN
AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ON MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
Contact:
ATTESTED March 20, 2.QQ1
JOHN SWEETEN,CLERK OF
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
cc: CAO
Dr.William Walker,Health Services
Art Lathrop,Emergency Services
BY h� Z DEPUTY
AB 424 Assembly Bill- INTRODUCED Page I of 2
BILL NUMBER: AB 424 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Aioner
FEBRUARY 20, 2001
An act to add Section 1255.35 to the Health and Safety Code,
relating to health facilities.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 424, as introduced, Aroner. Health facilities: local emergency
medical services agencies: information.
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health
facilities. A violation of these provisions by health facilities is
subject to criminal sanction.
This bill would require a general acute care hospital to submit
specified information to a local emergency medical services agency,
as prescribed by that agency. The bill would subject a hospital that
violates this requirement to a specified fine. Because this bill
would change the definition of a crime with regard to health
facilities, it would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
This bill would provide that nc reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares both of the
following:
(a) Each local emergency medical service agency must have access
to hospital critical care capacity status in order to appropriately
manage ambulance destination so that emergency patients may be
transported to the most accessible emergency medical facility that is
equipped, staffed, and prepared to administer care appropriate to
the needs of the patient.
(b) Each local emergency medical service agency must have access
to data on the availability of hospital emergency and speciality care
services and on the use of those services by the community in order
to plan, implement, and evaluate the community's emergency medical
services system.
SEC. 2. Section 1255.35 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to
read:
1255.35. (a) Each general acute care hospital, as a condition of
its licensure by the department, shall cooperate with its local
emergency medical services agency in providing in a format, manner,
and timely fashion, as prescribed by the local emergency medical
services agency, the following information:
(1) Current information, which shall be provided daily by the
following day, on each of the following items:
(A) Number of beds in service and licensed to provide acute care
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub[biU/asm/ab 0401-0450/ab 424 bill 20010220 introduced.htmi 3/8/01
AB 424 Assembly Bill- INTRODUCED Page 2 of 2
services, including the number of beds occupied and unoccupied.
(B) Number of beds in service and licensed to provide acute care
services that are equipped for cardiac monitoring, including the
number of beds occupied and unoccupied and the number of unoccupied
beds for which staffing is currently available.
(C) Number of beds in service and licensed to provide intensive
care services, including the number of beds occupied and unoccupied
and the number of unoccupied beds for which staffing is currently
available.
(D) Number of patients in the Emergency department waiting for
hospital admission.
(E) Average waiting time in thE! emergency department from patient
arrival until initiation of a patient assessment examination by a
physician or other designated medical practitioner responsible for
conducting patient assessment examinations.
(F) Status of the hospital with respect to any extraordinary steps
taken to alleviate immediate impact of a high patient load
condition.
(G) Status of specialty care services or equipment needed to
provide emergency services when that specialty care service or
equipment is temporarily unavailable.
(2) Monthly information, which shall be provided within 30 days of
the end of each calendar month, on the following:
(A) Number of emergency visits by shift (day, evening, or night)
and by hospital's triage category.
(B) Number of emergency visits by patient's zip code.
(C) Monthly hours of emergency department ambulance diversions.
(D) Available information on emergency patient payer mix.
(E) Available information on emergency patient age groups.
(F) Emergency department patient disposition.
(G) Emergency department interfacility transfers by receiving
hospital.
(H) Number of intensive care beds, number of intensive care
patient days, and daily number of intensive care unit registered
nurse staff hours.
(I) Number of acute care beds and number of acute care patient
days.
(J) Specialty services available in house or on call.
(K) Number of paramedic contacts if the hospital is a paramedic
base hospital.
(L) Number of major trauma patients admitted if the hospital is a
trauma center.
(b) The failure of a hospital to comply with the requirement to
provide the information set forth in subdivision (a) may result in a
fine of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each violation.
SEC. 3. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution because the
only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district
will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction,
eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime
or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government
Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of
Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution.
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bfVasm/ab 0401-0450/ab 424 bill 20010220_introduced.html 3/8/01