Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities, defined to include skilled nursing facilities, by the State Department of Public Health. Under existing law, a violation of the provisions governing health facilities constitutes a crime. Existing law requires all skilled nursing facilities to adopt and implement an antimicrobial stewardship policy that is consistent with the antimicrobial stewardship guidelines developed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or specified professional organizations. Existing law requires a health facility, as defined to exclude a skilled nursing facility, to report an adverse event to the department within 24 hours of detecting the event, including, among other things, specified patient deaths.

In the event of a declared emergency related to a communicable disease, this bill would require a skilled nursing facility to report each disease-related death and suspected disease-related death to the State Department of Public Health within 24 hours of that death. The bill would also require a skilled nursing facility to notify residents and their representatives about cases of communicable diseases, in compliance with state and federal privacy laws. The bill would require the State Department of Public Health to report certain information related to those deaths on its internet website on a weekly basis. The bill would authorize the department to implement, interpret, or make specific these provisions without taking regulatory action.

Existing law requires a health facility, which includes a skilled nursing facility, to designate an infection control officer who is responsible for implementing testing and reporting of infections and other hospital infection control efforts. Under existing law, a violation of this provision and provisions regulating health facilities is a crime.

This bill would also require a skilled nursing facility to have a full-time dedicated Infection Preventionist staff member, as specified, who is either a registered nurse or a licensed vocational nurse. The bill would require a skilled nursing facility to have a plan in place for infection prevention quality control. The bill would require a skilled nursing facility to ensure all health care personnel receive infection prevention and control training on an annual basis.

Because a failure to comply with certain of these provisions would be a crime, this bill 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.