2008 POLITICAL AGENDA

To increase quality care in hospitals and nursing homes by advocating for increased transparency.

Patients Right to Know Act (Rich-SB 1186, Brisé- HB 851) Requires the Agency for Health Care Administration to publish and disseminate to the public information concerning violations of federal regulations, complaints made to regulatory agencies, and nurse staffing levels and turnover rates. Requires AHCA to calculate and make available upon request hospital staffing levels and staffing schedules. Requires that the records and methods used to determine staffing levels are made available.

Long Term Care Transparency and Accountability Act (Jones-SB 1668) Revises provisions relating to license applications for nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Requires the applications to include the members of the facility's governing body, the facility's affiliates and controlling entities, entities having a controlling interest in the facility, an audited financial statement, proof of financial ability to operate, certain contracts, and copies of certain audits, investigations, and fines.

Safe Patient Lifting and Handling Act (Fasano - SB 508, Patronis- HB 471)
Requires Hospitals to develop and implement plans to achieve a safe environment to avoid injuries to employees or patients. The bill requires the plans to be evidence based and specifies the various factors, such as mechanical lifting devices, specialized training, etc. that must be considered. The plans will be developed by committees that are in their majority clinicians and will be in place by 2009. NOTE: SB 508 passed unanimously on 1/23/08 in the House Healthcare Council and the Senate Health Regulation Committee. We are working to secure final passage through the Senate with the language amended from the House version.

2008 Legislative Tracking

To watch for any bill(s) that would reduce quality care in nursing homes and/or hospitals.

Relating to Nursing Facilities (Bennett-SB686, HB247) Revises frequency of visits to nursing facilities by quality-of-care monitors from AHCA; authorizes certain licensed nursing facilities to develop a plan to provide certain training for nursing assistants; deletes requirement that nursing facility notify agency of adverse incident; requires that federal posting requirements for staffing standards comply with state posting requirements; revises provisions relating to facility's use of licensed nurses to meet certain minimum staffing requirements.

2008 Elections/Campaigns