Missouri Senate

House Committee Substitute

Under current law, the Department is required to disseminate reports to the public based on data compiled showing infection incidence rate for certain infections for hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. This act adds other infections to be reported including hospital and ambulatory surgical center procedure infections that meet certain requirements, central line-related bloodstream infections, health care-associated infections specified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and other categories of infections established by the Department through rule. The Department shall make such reports available to the public for at least 2 years.

This act requires the Infection Control Advisory Panel to make recommendations to the Department regarding the appropriateness of using CMS' reporting requirements by January 1, 2016. The panel recommendations shall address which hospitals shall be required, as a condition of licensure, to use specified national networks for data collection, risk analysis and adjustment, or public reporting of infection data. After considering the panel's recommendations, the Department shall implement guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network, or its successor. As a condition of licensure, those hospitals that meet the minimum public reporting requirements shall participate in the National Healthcare Safety Network program. Those hospitals shall permit the program to disclose facility-specific data. Those facilities not participating in the program shall submit facility-specific data to the Department as a condition of licensure.

This act also provides that no later than August 28, 2016, each hospital and ambulatory surgical center, excluding mental health facilities, shall establish an antibiotic stewardship program for evaluating the judicious use of antibiotics, especially antibiotics that are the last line of defense against resistant infections. The stewardship program procedures shall be made available upon inspection to the Department. Hospitals shall meet specified national standards for reporting antimicrobial usage or resistance and shall authorize the National HealthCare Safety Network, or its successor, to disclose to the Department facility-specific reported data. Such data shall not be disclosed to the public except under specific circumstances. Beginning January 1, 2017, and every year thereafter, the Department shall report the General Assembly on the incidence, type, and distribution of antimicrobial-resistant infections in the state.

These provisions are identical to HCS/HB 1066 (2015) and similar to SCS/SB 10 (2015) and SB 910 (2014).

This act also provides that the Department of Social Services, in cooperation with the Department of Health and Senior Services and the Department of Mental Health, shall establish a committee to assess the continuation of the Money Follows the Person Demonstration Program in order to support Missourians who have disabilities and those who are aging to transition from nursing facilities or habilitation centers to community settings. The committee will study sustainability of the program beyond the current demonstration time frame for all transitions to occur by September 30, 2018. The committee shall be comprised of specified representatives and shall including fiscal staff from specified divisions and agencies.

By July 1, 2016, the Department of Social Services must make recommendations based on the findings of the committee and report them to the General Assembly and the Governor. The provisions of the act will expire on January 1, 2017.

These provisions are substantially similar to HB 343 (2015).

This act adds physical therapists to the list of authorized health care practitioners who may sign statements necessary for a person to receive a windshield placard or special plates for a temporary or permanent physical disability.

This provision is identical to HCS/HB 720 (2015), HCS/SB 254 (2015), HCS/SB 458 (2015).

SARAH HASKINS