Bill Text: FL S1418 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Pediatric Care in Hospital Emergency Departments
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2024-03-08 - Died in Health Policy [S1418 Detail]
Download: Florida-2024-S1418-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2024 SB 1418
By Senator Harrell
31-01389A-24 20241418__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to pediatric care in hospital
3 emergency departments; amending s. 395.1012, F.S.;
4 requiring hospital emergency departments to develop
5 and implement policies and procedures, conduct
6 training, record weights in a certain manner,
7 designate a pediatric emergency care coordinator, and
8 conduct specified assessments; requiring each hospital
9 emergency department to submit a specified report to
10 the Agency for Health Care Administration by specified
11 dates; amending s. 395.1055, F.S.; requiring the
12 agency to adopt certain rules for comprehensive
13 emergency management plans, and, in consultation with
14 the Florida Emergency Medical Services for Children
15 State Partnership Program, establish minimum standards
16 for pediatric patient care in hospital emergency
17 departments; amending s. 408.05, F.S.; requiring the
18 agency to collect and publish the results of specified
19 assessments submitted by hospitals by specified dates;
20 providing an effective date.
21
22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
23
24 Section 1. Subsection (5) is added to section 395.1012,
25 Florida Statutes, to read:
26 395.1012 Patient safety.—
27 (5)(a) Each hospital with an emergency department must:
28 1. Develop and implement policies and procedures for
29 pediatric patient care in the emergency department which reflect
30 evidence-based best practices relating to, at a minimum:
31 a. Triage.
32 b. Measuring and recording vital signs.
33 c. Weighing and recording weights in kilograms.
34 d. Calculating medication dosages.
35 e. Use of pediatric instruments.
36 2. Conduct training at least annually on the policies and
37 procedures developed under this subsection. The training must
38 include, at a minimum:
39 a. The use of pediatric instruments, as applicable to each
40 licensure type, using clinical simulation as defined in s.
41 464.003.
42 b. Drills that simulate emergency situations. Each
43 department must conduct drills at least annually.
44 (b) Each hospital emergency department must:
45 1. Designate a pediatric emergency care coordinator. The
46 pediatric emergency care coordinator must be a physician
47 licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459, or a nurse licensed
48 under chapter 464. The pediatric emergency care coordinator is
49 responsible for implementation and enforcement of the policies
50 and procedures adopted under this subsection.
51 2. Conduct the National Pediatric Readiness Assessment
52 developed by the National Pediatric Readiness Project, in
53 accordance with timelines established by the National Pediatric
54 Readiness Project. Each hospital emergency department shall
55 submit a report with the results of the assessment to the agency
56 by December 31, 2026, and annually each December 31 during which
57 the National Pediatric Readiness Assessment is conducted
58 thereafter.
59 Section 2. Present subsections (4) through (19) of section
60 395.1055, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (5)
61 through (20), respectively, a new subsection (4) is added to
62 that section, and paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of that
63 section is amended, to read:
64 395.1055 Rules and enforcement.—
65 (1) The agency shall adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1)
66 and 120.54 to implement the provisions of this part, which shall
67 include reasonable and fair minimum standards for ensuring that:
68 (c) A comprehensive emergency management plan is prepared
69 and updated annually. Such standards must be included in the
70 rules adopted by the agency after consulting with the Division
71 of Emergency Management. At a minimum, the rules must provide
72 for plan components that address emergency evacuation
73 transportation; adequate sheltering arrangements; postdisaster
74 activities, including emergency power, food, and water;
75 postdisaster transportation; supplies; staffing; emergency
76 equipment; individual identification of residents and transfer
77 of records, and responding to family inquiries, and the needs of
78 pediatric and neonatal patients. The comprehensive emergency
79 management plan is subject to review and approval by the local
80 emergency management agency. During its review, the local
81 emergency management agency shall ensure that the following
82 agencies, at a minimum, are given the opportunity to review the
83 plan: the Department of Elderly Affairs, the Department of
84 Health, the Agency for Health Care Administration, and the
85 Division of Emergency Management. Also, appropriate volunteer
86 organizations must be given the opportunity to review the plan.
87 The local emergency management agency shall complete its review
88 within 60 days and either approve the plan or advise the
89 facility of necessary revisions.
90 (4) The agency, in consultation with the Florida Emergency
91 Medical Services for Children State Partnership Program, shall
92 adopt rules that establish minimum standards for pediatric
93 patient care in hospital emergency departments, including, but
94 not limited to, availability and immediate access to pediatric
95 specific equipment and supplies.
96 Section 3. Paragraph (n) is added to subsection (3) of
97 section 408.05, Florida Statutes, to read:
98 408.05 Florida Center for Health Information and
99 Transparency.—
100 (3) HEALTH INFORMATION TRANSPARENCY.—In order to
101 disseminate and facilitate the availability of comparable and
102 uniform health information, the agency shall perform the
103 following functions:
104 (n)1. Collect the results of National Pediatric Readiness
105 Assessments submitted by hospitals pursuant to s. 395.1012(5).
106 2. By April 1, 2027, and annually each April 1 during which
107 the National Pediatric Readiness Assessment is conducted
108 thereafter, publish the overall assessment score for each
109 hospital emergency department, and provide a comparison to the
110 national average score when it becomes available.
111 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.
