Bill Text: IL SB0321 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Provides that if the Director of Public Health determines that it would be in the best interests of the residents of a nursing home to do so, the Director may require that the nursing home use the amount of any penalty assessed under the Act for the purpose of implementing a directed plan of correction rather than pay the amount of the penalty to the Department of Public Health for deposit into the Long Term Care Monitor/Receiver Fund. Provides that if the Director of Public Health requires a facility to use the amount of a penalty for the purpose of implementing a directed plan of correction, it is the Department of Public Health's responsibility to ensure that the facility in fact uses the amount of the penalty for that purpose. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-2)

Status: (Passed) 2010-03-01 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 96-0883 [SB0321 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-SB0321-Enrolled.html

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AN ACT concerning regulation.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act
is amended by changing Section 32.5 as follows:
(210 ILCS 50/32.5)
Sec. 32.5. Freestanding Emergency Center.
(a) Until June 30, 2009, the Department shall issue an
annual Freestanding Emergency Center (FEC) license to any
facility that:
(1) is located: (A) in a municipality with a population
of 75,000 or fewer inhabitants; (B) within 20 miles of the
hospital that owns or controls the FEC; and (C) within 20
miles of the Resource Hospital affiliated with the FEC as
part of the EMS System;
(2) is wholly owned or controlled by an Associate or
Resource Hospital, but is not a part of the hospital's
physical plant;
(3) meets the standards for licensed FECs, adopted by
rule of the Department, including, but not limited to:
(A) facility design, specification, operation, and
maintenance standards;
(B) equipment standards; and

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(C) the number and qualifications of emergency
medical personnel and other staff, which must include
at least one board certified emergency physician
present at the FEC 24 hours per day.
(4) limits its participation in the EMS System strictly
to receiving a limited number of BLS runs by emergency
medical vehicles according to protocols developed by the
Resource Hospital within the FEC's designated EMS System
and approved by the Project Medical Director and the
Department;
(5) provides comprehensive emergency treatment
services, as defined in the rules adopted by the Department
pursuant to the Hospital Licensing Act, 24 hours per day,
on an outpatient basis;
(6) provides an ambulance and maintains on site
ambulance services staffed with paramedics 24 hours per
day;
(7) maintains helicopter landing capabilities approved
by appropriate State and federal authorities;
(8) complies with all State and federal patient rights
provisions, including, but not limited to, the Emergency
Medical Treatment Act and the federal Emergency Medical
Treatment and Active Labor Act;
(9) maintains a communications system that is fully
integrated with its Resource Hospital within the FEC's
designated EMS System;

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(10) reports to the Department any patient transfers
from the FEC to a hospital within 48 hours of the transfer
plus any other data determined to be relevant by the
Department;
(11) submits to the Department, on a quarterly basis,
the FEC's morbidity and mortality rates for patients
treated at the FEC and other data determined to be relevant
by the Department;
(12) does not describe itself or hold itself out to the
general public as a full service hospital or hospital
emergency department in its advertising or marketing
activities;
(13) complies with any other rules adopted by the
Department under this Act that relate to FECs;
(14) passes the Department's site inspection for
compliance with the FEC requirements of this Act;
(15) submits a copy of the permit issued by the
Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board indicating that
the facility has complied with the Illinois Health
Facilities Planning Act with respect to the health services
to be provided at the facility;
(16) submits an application for designation as an FEC
in a manner and form prescribed by the Department by rule;
and
(17) pays the annual license fee as determined by the
Department by rule.

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(a-5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section,
the Department may issue an annual FEC license to a facility
that is located in a county that does not have a licensed
general acute care hospital if the facility's application for a
permit from the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board has
been deemed complete by the Department of Public Health by
March 1, 2009 and if the facility complies with the
requirements set forth in paragraphs (1) through (17) of
subsection (a).
(a-10) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Section, the Department may issue an annual FEC license to a
facility if the facility has, by March 31, 2009, filed a letter
of intent to establish an FEC and if the facility complies with
the requirements set forth in paragraphs (1) through (17) of
subsection (a).
(b) The Department shall:
(1) annually inspect facilities of initial FEC
applicants and licensed FECs, and issue annual licenses to
or annually relicense FECs that satisfy the Department's
licensure requirements as set forth in subsection (a);
(2) suspend, revoke, refuse to issue, or refuse to
renew the license of any FEC, after notice and an
opportunity for a hearing, when the Department finds that
the FEC has failed to comply with the standards and
requirements of the Act or rules adopted by the Department
under the Act;

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(3) issue an Emergency Suspension Order for any FEC
when the Director or his or her designee has determined
that the continued operation of the FEC poses an immediate
and serious danger to the public health, safety, and
welfare. An opportunity for a hearing shall be promptly
initiated after an Emergency Suspension Order has been
issued; and
(4) adopt rules as needed to implement this Section.
(Source: P.A. 95-584, eff. 8-31-07.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.