Washington Ambulatory Surgery Center Association - Weekly ...



|Washington Ambulatory Surgery Center Association |Weekly Report |

|Prepared by:  Coyne, Jesernig, LLC |Thursday, February 7, 2008 |

The Legislature will move past its first major cutoff at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 8th. That cutoff deadline is known as the "House of Origin -- Policy Committee Cutoff". Any bills that have not been voted out of their committee of origin, (and are not "Necessary to Implement the Budget"), will be "dead" for the 2008 Session. This deadline will "kill" the vast majority of the bills that we are tracking.

On Tuesday, February 12th, any of the bills that have made it past the Policy Committee deadline, (but now find themselves in one of the money committees), must be voted out of those money committees, or they will be "dead" for this Session. Any bills that did not have to go to a money committee, (since they have no fiscal impact), and any bills that make their way out of the money committees before next Tuesday's deadline, have until February 19th to be voted out of their House of Origin.

Next week's Update will designate all of the bills that are "dead" for this Session. We will then need to have someone take a hard look at all of the remaining bills to see if there are problems with any of them that we are going to try and work on in the Opposite House. Opposite House Policy Committees will be holding hearings starting on February 20th, since any bills that have been referred to those committees must be voted out by Friday, February 29th. As you can see, the deadlines will continue to crop up quicker and quicker as the Session accelerates to adjournment.

Rob and I met with Jude van Buren, (the Department of Health’s Assistant Secretary for the Epidemiology, Health Statistics and Public Health Laboratories Division), and Pam Lovinger, (the Department of Health’s Senior Adviser for Policy and Business Practices), on Monday, February 4th, to discuss the Department’s Healthcare Associated Infections-- Ambulatory Surgical Facilities Stakeholder Group. This group, (which will be charged with reviewing infection data in surgery centers to determine if there is an infection problem, and if there is one found to come up with solutions), includes the following members:

1) Rob Schwartz – WASCA

2) Christine Hayes—Director – Everett Bone and Joint Ambulatory Surgical Facility

3) Kathy Hills—Clinical Director – Overlake Surgical Center

4) Nancy Molhan -- CEO—SW Washington Regional Surgery Center

5) Pam Novotny – Quality Improvement Coordinator – Bellingham Surgery Center

6) Debbie Perdue – Manager – Minor and James Medical

7) Vonnie Prescott – Clinical Director – Hillside Surgery Center

Hopefully, the Department will work with this group just as thoughtfully as it has worked with the licensure workgroups. We’ll just have to see. They will have their first meeting on March 28th.

The WASCA Board met with Byron Plan at its dinner in Olympia on Monday, February 4th. Byron walked the Board through the timeline for the Department’s ASC licensure rule. He indicated that the Department was unlikely to pursue fee legislation this year. While I know Byron will do everything he can to have this rule work for everyone involved, I am very concerned that his timeline for adopting the rule, (June of 2009), is perilously close to July of 2009, which is when all surgery centers need to be licensed.

My concern is that our members will not have enough time to actually get licensed in only one month, or worse yet, not be able to get licensed at all before the licensure requirement becomes law. If that were to occur, a surgery center that had “surgery center” in its name would actually be illegal. Not a good result. In order to make sure that our members do not get caught in this dilemma, I have already floated the idea with Brian Payton, (the Department’s legislative liaison), that WASCA may pursue an amendment to the Department’s fee bill that would extend the effective date of licensure to January 1st of 2010, rather than the present July 1, 2009. We may never have to “pull the trigger” on that option, but I want to make sure the Department is aware of the fact that we are concerned with this issue.

Finally, the big news this week was that even though HB 2691, (the bill prohibiting practitioner referrals to a facility that they have an ownership interest in), is now officially “dead” for the 2008 Legislative Session, Chair Cody will be holding a work session on this bill next Wednesday, February 13th. In discussions with Rep Cody today, she indicated to me that her main reason for pursuing HB 2691 has to do with in-office imaging and laboratories, not specifically surgery centers. Though I told her that we appreciate the fact her focus had not landed on us directly, her bill as written, (unfortunately), could cause incredible problems for surgery centers. We will have a conference call Monday afternoon to discuss our strategy around this work session.

|Bill Tracking Summary |

|High Priority Bills |Sponsor |Position |Status |

| |

|1415 |Establishing activities to support the certificate of need program. | |Cody |Concerns |H, HC/Wellness |

| |

|ES1809 |Creating the Washington state patient safety act. (DIGEST OF PROPOSED 1ST | |Morrell |Monitor |H, Rules X + |

| |SUBSTITUTE) | | | | |

| |

|2S2098 |Providing high quality, affordable health care to Washingtonians based on the | |Cody |Monitor |H, Rules X + |

| |recommendations of the blue ribbon commission on health care costs and access. | | | | |

| |(DIGEST OF PROPOSED 2ND SUBSTITUTE) | | | | |

| |

|2099 |Establishing activities to support the certificate of need program. | |Cody |Oppose |H, Approp + |

| |

|S2670 |Modifying disclosure provisions under the adverse health events and incident | |Campbell |Monitor |H, Rules R |

| |reporting system. (DIGEST OF PROPOSED 1ST SUBSTITUTE) | | | | |

| |

|2691 |Regarding the referral of patients by health care practitioners. | |Cody |Concerns |H, HC/Wellness |

| |

|3293 |Regarding the licensing fees for certain professions, occupations, and businesses.| |Ericks |Monitor |H, Approp |

| |

|6225 |Establishing a system for monitoring invasive methicillin resistant staphylococcus| |Keiser |Monitor |S, Hea/L-T Care |

| |aureus. | | | | |

| |

|6457 |Modifying disclosure provisions under the adverse health events and incident | |Keiser |Concerns |S, Hea/L-T Care |

| |reporting system. | | | | |

Medium Priority Bills

| |

|2428 |Establishing a system for monitoring invasive methicillin resistant staphylococcus| |Campbell |Monitor |H, HC/Wellness |

| |aureus. | | | | |

| |

|2685 |Regarding hours of labor for nurses. | |Green |Monitor |H, Commerce/Lab |

| |

|2929 |Modifying certificate of need review requirements. | |Hinkle |Monitor |H, HC/Wellness |

| |

|S3123 |Establishing evidence-based nurse staffing in hospitals. (DIGEST OF PROPOSED 1ST | |Morrell |Monitor |H, Approp |

| |SUBSTITUTE) | | | | |

| |

|3331 |Identifying methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus as a presumptive | |Conway |Monitor |H, Commerce/Lab |

| |occupational disease affecting firefighters. | | | | |

| |

|5941 |Regarding the certification and recertification of health care facilities. | |Jacobsen |Monitor |S, Ways & Means |

| |

|6191 |Requiring disclosure of certain health care information. | |Keiser |Monitor |S, Hea/L-T Care |

| |

|6221 |Establishing the Washington health partnership. | |Keiser |Monitor |S, Hea/L-T Care |

| |

|6334 |Regarding the scope of practice of health care assistants. | |Franklin |Monitor |S, Rules 2 |

| |

|6734 |Establishing a process to identify best practices related to patient safety. | |Franklin |Monitor |S, Hea/L-T Care |

Low Priority Bills

| |

|S2475 |Regarding the scope of practice of health care assistants. (DIGEST OF PROPOSED 1ST| |Cody |Monitor |H, 2nd Reading |

| |SUBSTITUTE) | | | | |

| |

|2513 |Concerning radiologist assistants. | |Morris |Monitor |H, HC/Wellness |

| |

|S2536 |Establishing a citizens' work group on health care. (DIGEST OF PROPOSED 1ST | |Cody |Monitor |H, Approp + |

| |SUBSTITUTE) | | | | |

| |

|2573 |Granting the department of health the authority to grant exceptions to a | |Moeller |Monitor |H, HC/Wellness |

| |certificate of need review for qualifying kidney disease treatment centers. | | | | |

| |

|2653 |Studying the impact of vendor rates or cost shifting between public and private | |Hinkle |Monitor |H, HC/Wellness |

| |purchasers of medical services. | | | | |

| |

|S2816 |Regulating certain health care devices and procedures. (DIGEST OF PROPOSED 1ST | |Campbell |Monitor |H, Rules R + |

| |SUBSTITUTE) | | | | |

| |

|2883 |Improving patient safety through increased regulation of health professionals. | |Green |Monitor |H, HC/Wellness |

| |

|3190 |Concerning radiologist assistants. | |Morris |Monitor |H, HC/Wellness |

| |

|6333 |Establishing a citizens' work group on health care. | |Keiser |Monitor |S, Hea/L-T Care |

| |

|6439 |Concerning radiologist assistants. | |Spanel |Monitor |S, Hea/L-T Care |

| |

|6458 |Improving patient safety through increased regulation of health professionals. | |Keiser |Monitor |S, Ways & Means + |

|Calendar Items |

|2/11/2008 |6458 |Patient safety |Ways & Means |TVW |1:30 PM |SHR 4 |

|2/13/2008 |2691 |Patient referral |Health Care & Wellness | |8:00 AM |HHR A |

|Bill Tracking Details |

|1415 |Certificate of need program |Cody |

|Representatives Cody, Green, Morrell, Moeller, and Campbell | | |

| |

|Declares that a strategic health planning process that is responsive to changing health and social needs and conditions is essential to the health, safety, and |

|welfare of the people of the state. The strategic health planning process must be concerned with the performance of the health system, encompassing health care |

|financing, quality, and the availability of information and services for all residents. The strategic health planning process must ensure the involvement of |

|both consumers and health care providers in the health planning process. The outcomes of the strategic health planning process must be clearly articulated and |

|available for public use and review. |

|Requires such strategic health planning, when informed by relevant data about the state's health system, shall guide the state in establishing objectives and |

|strategies to: (1) Promote, maintain, and assure the health of all citizens in the state; |

|(2) Provide accessible health services through the maintenance of an adequate supply of health facilities and an adequate workforce; |

|(3) Apply specific quality criteria and population health indicators; |

|(4) Recognize prevention as a high priority in health programs; |

|(5) Address periodic priority issues including disaster planning, public health threats, and public safety dilemmas; |

|(6) Coordinate efforts among state agencies including those tasked with facility, services, and professional provider licensing; state and federal |

|reimbursement; health service utilization data systems; and other functions relevant to health planning; |

|(7) Recognize the close interrelationship of health planning concerns and emphasize health care expenditure control, including cost-effectiveness and |

|cost-benefit analysis; |

|(8) Integrate criteria for evidence-based medicine; and |

|(9) Regularly evaluate the impact of capacity management on health service expenditures, access, quality, and innovation. |

|Creates the office of strategic health resource coordination in the office of the governor. The office shall serve as a coordinating body for public and private|

|efforts to improve quality in health care, promote cost-effectiveness in health care, and plan health facility and health service availability. In addition, the|

|office shall facilitate access to health care data collected by public and private organizations as needed to conduct its planning responsibilities. |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/1415.pdf |

|ES1809 |Patient safety act |Morrell |

|House Committee on Health Care & Wellness (originally sponsored by Representatives Morrell, Campbell, | | |

|Green, Kenney, Cody, Darneille, Hunt, Conway, Williams, Simpson, Moeller, Santos, and Wood) | | |

| |

|Finds that research demonstrates the critical role that registered nurses play in improving patient safety and quality of care. Greater numbers of registered |

|nurses available to care for hospitalized patients are key to reducing errors, complications, and adverse patient care events. Moreover, higher nurse staffing |

|levels result in improved staff safety and satisfaction and reduced incidences of workplace injuries. In addition, health care professional, technical, and |

|support staff comprise vital components of the patient care team, bringing their particular skills and services to ensuring quality patient care. |

|Provides therefore, in order to protect patients and to support greater retention of registered nurses, to promote evidence-based nurse staffing, and to |

|increase transparency of health care data and decision making, the legislature finds that ensuring sufficient nurse staffing to meet patient care needs is an |

|urgent public policy priority. |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/1809-s.e.pdf |

|2S2098 |Blue ribbon comm/health care |Cody |

|House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Cody, Upthegrove, Morrell, | |Requested by |

|Kenney, Conway, Simpson, Hudgins, and Ormsby) | |Governor Gregoire |

| |

|Provides a plan to develop high quality, affordable health care to Washingtonians based on the recommendations of the blue ribbon commission on health care |

|costs and access. |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/2098-s2.pdf |

|2099 |Certificate of need program |Cody |

|Representatives Cody, Morrell, and Kenney | | |

| |

|Establishes activities to support the certificate of need program. |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/2099.pdf |

|2428 |Staphylococcus aureus |Campbell |

|Representatives Campbell, Green, Wood, Hinkle, Ormsby, and Morrell | | |

| |

|Finds that methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus poses a serious threat to the health of the residents of Washington state. |

|Intends to establish a system for monitoring invasive methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus and taking measures to prevent its spread in health care |

|settings and the community. |

|Requires every laboratory to notify the local health jurisdiction of confirmed cases of invasive methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus and shall cooperate|

|with public health authorities in any investigation of cases or outbreaks. |

|Declares that the department of health provide assistance to local health jurisdictions with the establishment of a strategy to support efforts to prevent the |

|spread of multidrug resistant organisms. |

|Companion Bill: |6225  Staphylococcus aureus |S, Hea/L-T Care |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/2428.pdf |

|S2475 |Health care assistants |Cody |

|House Committee on Health Care & Wellness (originally sponsored by Representatives Cody, Morrell, and | | |

|Green) | | |

| |

|Allows health care assistants to administer vaccines. |

|Modifies the definition of "health care practitioner" to include a licensed physician assistant or a licensed osteopathic physician assistant. |

|Modifies the definition of "supervision" to include supervision by a health care practitioner during the administration of vaccines. |

|Requires each person authorizing the administration of vaccines to maintain a list of the vaccines that he or she has authorized for administration. |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/2475-s.pdf |

|2513 |Radiologist assistants |Morris |

|Representatives Morris and Quall | | |

| |

|Creates radiologist assistant provisions. |

|Companion Bill: |6439  Radiologist assistants |S, Hea/L-T Care |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/2513.pdf |

|S2536 |Health care work group |Cody |

|House Committee on Health Care & Wellness (originally sponsored by Representatives Cody, VanDeWege, | | |

|Hasegawa, Ormsby, Seaquist, Morrell, Schual-Berke, Upthegrove, and Green) | | |

| |

|Establishes a citizens' work group on health care reform. The work group shall present information and seek public input about, direct the economic analysis of,|

|and review various health care proposals. |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/2536-s.pdf |

|2573 |Kidney disease treatment |Moeller |

|Representative Moeller | | |

| |

|Authorizes the department of health to grant exceptions to a certificate of need review for qualifying kidney disease treatment centers. |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/2573.pdf |

|2653 |Vendor rates/cost shifting |Hinkle |

|Representatives Hinkle and Cody | | |

| |

|Requires the governor's advisory committee on vendor rates to conduct an extensive examination of rates paid to licensed health care providers to determine |

|whether the rates paid by the department of social and health services are reasonable and necessary to ensure that medical program participants have access to |

|accessible, quality services. |

|Requires vendor rates for medical services purchased by the department to include amounts reasonable and necessary to ensure access to licensed health care |

|providers by all medical program participants by eliminating any cost shifting due to inadequate vendor rates. |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/2653.pdf |

|S2670 |Health events/incidents |Campbell |

|House Committee on Health Care & Wellness (originally sponsored by Representatives Campbell, Hunt, and | |Requested by |

|Kenney) | |Governor Gregoire |

| |

|Provides that when a medical facility confirms that an adverse event has occurred, it shall submit to the department of health notification of the event within |

|forty-eight hours and a report regarding the event within forty-five days. |

|Requires independent entities who report annually to the governor and the legislature on the activities under chapter 70.56 RCW to include information, |

|presented in the aggregate, to inform and educate consumers and providers, on best practices and prevention tools that medical facilities are implementing to |

|prevent adverse events as well as other patient safety initiatives medical facilities are undertaking to promote patient safety. |

|Provides that the notification of an adverse event under RCW 70.56.020(2)(a), is subject to public disclosure and not exempt from disclosure under chapter 42.56|

|RCW. Any public disclosure of an adverse event notification must include any contextual information the medical facility chose to provide under RCW |

|70.56.020(2)(a). |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/2670-s.pdf |

|2685 |Nurses hours of labor |Green |

|Representative Green | | |

| |

|Declares that employees of health care facilities shall be allowed scheduled meal and rest periods as specified in rules adopted by the department of labor and |

|industries under this act. Employees of health care facilities are not engaged in the type of work that allows employees to take intermittent rest periods in |

|place of scheduled meal and rest periods. |

|Requires that in addition to the restrictions of RCW 49.28.140, no employer shall permit any employee of any health care facility to work in excess of twelve |

|hours in any twenty-four hour period. This act does not apply to unforeseeable emergent circumstances. |

|Provides that the department of labor and industries shall investigate complaints of violations of RCW 49.28.140 and this act. |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/2685.pdf |

|2691 |Patient referral |Cody |

|Representative Cody | | |

| |

|Regulates the referral of patients by health care practitioners. |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/2691.pdf |

|S2816 |Health care device/procedure |Campbell |

|House Committee on Health Care & Wellness (originally sponsored by Representatives Campbell, Morrell, and | | |

|Green) | | |

| |

|Authorizes the adoption of rules to identify those instruments or procedures that are prohibited for use by a podiatric physician or surgeon, chiropractor, |

|dentist, naturopath, osteopathic physician or surgeon, osteopathic physician's assistant, physician or surgeon, physician's assistant, physical therapist, or |

|nurse practitioner. |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/2816-s.pdf |

|2883 |Patient safety |Green |

|Representatives Green, Roberts, and Morrell | |Requested by |

| | |Governor Gregoire |

| |

|Increases regulation of health professionals. |

|Companion Bill: |6458  Patient safety |S, Ways & Means + |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/2883.pdf |

|2929 |Certificate of need review |Hinkle |

|Representatives Hinkle, Morrell, and McDonald | | |

| |

|Modifies provisions related to circumstances in which critical access hospitals are exempt from certificate of need review requirements. |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/2929.pdf |

|S3123 |Nurse staffing |Morrell |

|House Committee on Health Care & Wellness (originally sponsored by Representatives Morrell, Cody, Roberts,| | |

|Green, and Ormsby) | | |

| |

|Establishes a mechanism whereby direct care nurses and hospital management shall participate in a joint process regarding decisions about nurse staffing. |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/3123-s.pdf |

|3190 |Radiologist assistants |Morris |

|Representatives Morris, Green, Morrell, Quall, Kenney, and Seaquist | | |

| |

|Licenses and regulates radiologist assistants. |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/3190.pdf |

|3293 |Licensing fees |Ericks |

|Representatives Ericks, Kessler, Dunshee, Lantz, Seaquist, Moeller, Linville, Darneille, Williams, | | |

|Roberts, Hudgins, McIntire, Green, Pedersen, Kagi, Pettigrew, and Morrell | | |

| |

|Provides for any profession that the secretary determines meets the criteria in this act, the secretary shall establish the amount of license fees and renewal |

|fees at a rate not to exceed the lesser of ten percent of the cost of administering credentialing and disciplinary activities for the program or one hundred |

|dollars per year. |

|Companion Bill: |6869  Licensing fees |S, Ways & Means |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/3293.pdf |

|3331 |Occupational disease |Conway |

|Representatives Conway, Darneille, Simpson, and Wallace | | |

| |

|Provides the presumption established in RCW 51.32.185(1)(d) shall be extended to any firefighter who has contracted methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus.|

|Full Text URL: | Bills/3331.pdf |

|5941 |Health care facilities |Jacobsen |

|Senators Jacobsen, Brandland, Keiser, Shin, and Rasmussen | | |

| |

|Declares that the federal government requires Washington health care facilities to be certified in order to receive federal health care program reimbursement. |

|The department receives funding from the federal government to perform the certifications and recertifications of these health care facilities. When the federal|

|government does not provide sufficient funding to cover all certifications and recertifications, the secretary may either assess fees on certification and |

|recertification applicants or receive state appropriations to fund the certifications and recertifications. |

|Companion Bill: |2087  Health care facilities |C 279 L 07 |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/5941.pdf |

|6191 |Health care info disclosure |Keiser |

|Senator Keiser | | |

| |

|Requires disclosure of certain health care information. |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/6191.pdf |

|6221 |WA health partnership |Keiser |

|Senator Keiser | | |

| |

|Finds that rising costs of health care are seriously threatening the physical and fiscal well-being of Washingtonians, the ability of Washington businesses to |

|compete globally, farms to thrive, government to provide needed services, schools to educate, and local citizens to form new and successful business ventures. |

|Establishes the Washington health partnership as a public-private entity to provide comprehensive health coverage to all residents of the state of Washington. |

|The Washington health partnership shall seek to attain the following goals: (1) By 2012, every resident of this state shall have access to affordable, |

|comprehensive health care services; |

|(2) Services shall be provided through the private health care sector; |

|(3) The plan shall maintain and improve choice of health care providers and high quality health care services in this state; and |

|(4) The plan shall include cost-containment strategies that retain and assure affordable coverage for all Washingtonians. |

|Provides that the Washington health partnership is governed by a board composed of members nominated by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate,|

|and appointed for staggered six-year terms. |

|Provides that a person and the members of the person's immediate family are eligible to participate in the partnership if the person satisfies all of the |

|following criteria: (1) The person has maintained his or her place of permanent residence in this state for at least twelve months; |

|(2) The person maintains a substantial presence in this state; and |

|(3) The person is not: (a) eligible for health care coverage from a foreign government or the federal government, including medicare and medicaid; (b) an inmate|

|of a state correctional institution; or (c) placed or confined in, or committed to, an institution for the mentally ill or developmentally disabled. |

|Provides eligibility in the partnership, regardless of other requirements, to children under age eighteen and pregnant women residing in the state, public |

|employees, and certain people receiving health coverage under a collective bargaining agreement. |

|Requires that the partnership shall implement outreach and education efforts to facilitate informed enrollment. |

|Declares that the partnership shall establish a health care program that will take effect on January 1, 2010. The program shall provide a standardized set of |

|covered services. |

|Provides that the partnership shall annually solicit sealed premium bids from competing networks for the purpose of offering health care coverage to enrollees |

|in the Washington health partnership. |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/6221.pdf |

|6225 |Staphylococcus aureus |Keiser |

|Senator Keiser | | |

| |

|Finds that methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus poses a serious threat to the health of the residents of Washington state. |

|Intends to establish a system for monitoring invasive methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus and taking measures to prevent its spread in health care |

|settings and the community. |

|Requires every laboratory to notify the local health jurisdiction of confirmed cases of invasive methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus and shall cooperate|

|with public health authorities in any investigation of cases or outbreaks. |

|Declares that the department of health provide assistance to local health jurisdictions with the establishment of a strategy to support efforts to prevent the |

|spread of multidrug resistant organisms. |

|Companion Bill: |2428  Staphylococcus aureus |H, HC/Wellness |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/6225.pdf |

|6333 |Health care work group |Keiser |

|Senators Keiser, Kohl-Welles, and Marr | | |

| |

|Establishes a citizens' work group on health care reform. The work group shall present information and seek public input about, direct the economic analysis of,|

|and review various health care proposals. |

|Companion Bill: |2536  Health care work group |H, Approp + |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/6333.pdf |

|6334 |Health care assistants |Franklin |

|Senators Franklin, Regala, Fairley, Keiser, and Kohl-Welles | | |

| |

|Provides that health care assistants be permitted to administer vaccines and immunizations in accordance with this act. |

|Modifies the definition of "health care practitioner" to include a licensed physician assistant or a licensed osteopathic physician's assistant. |

|The definition of "supervision" includes supervision by a health care practitioner during the administration of vaccines or immunizations. |

|Requires that each delegator, as defined under this act, shall maintain a list of the vaccines and immunizations that he or she has authorized for |

|administration. |

|Companion Bill: |2475  Health care assistants |H, 2nd Reading |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/6334.pdf |

|6439 |Radiologist assistants |Spanel |

|Senators Spanel and Berkey | | |

| |

|Creates radiologist assistant provisions. |

|Companion Bill: |2513  Radiologist assistants |H, HC/Wellness |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/6439.pdf |

|6457 |Health events/incidents |Keiser |

|Senators Keiser and Kohl-Welles | |Requested by |

| | |Governor Gregoire |

| |

|Provides when a medical facility confirms that an adverse event has occurred, it shall submit to the department of health notification of the event within |

|forty-eight hours; and a report regarding the event with forty-five days. |

|Provides to the Washington state quality forum established in RCW 41.05.029 such information from the adverse events notifications under RCW 70.56.020(2)(a), |

|the adverse events reports under RCW 70.56.020(2)(b), and the incidents notifications under RCW 70.56.040(5) as the department and the Washington state quality |

|forum determine will assist in the Washington state quality forum's research regarding health care quality, evidence-based medicine, and patient safety. |

|Makes available to the public the notifications of adverse events under RCW 70.56.020(2)(a) and notifications of incidents as defined in RCW 70.56.010(8)(a) |

|under RCW 70.56.040(5). |

|Companion Bill: |2670  Health events/incidents |H, Rules R |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/6457.pdf |

|6458 |Patient safety |Keiser |

|Senators Keiser, Shin, and Kohl-Welles | |Requested by |

| | |Governor Gregoire |

| |

|Increases regulation of health professionals. |

|Companion Bill: |2883  Patient safety |H, HC/Wellness |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/6458.pdf |

|6734 |Nurse staffing |Franklin |

|Senators Franklin, Keiser, and Kohl-Welles | | |

| |

|Intends the legislature to establish a mechanism for direct care nurses and hospital management to participate in a joint process to identify and apply best |

|practices related to patient safety and nurse retention, including nurse staffing. |

|Companion Bill: |3123  Nurse staffing |H, Approp |

|Full Text URL: | Bills/6734.pdf |

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