Bill Text: IL SB1577 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Engrossed

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Amends the Hospital Licensing Act. In the list of provisions to be incorporated into hospital policies regarding the risk of injury to patients and nurses and other health care workers associated with the lifting, transferring, repositioning, or movement of a patient, includes (1) the primacy of maintaining patient dignity, self-determination, and choice and (2) consideration of the feasibility of incorporating patient handling equipment or the physical space and construction design needed to incorporate that equipment in conjunction with federal handling equipment or the physical space and construction design needed to incorporate that equipment and federal guidelines known as Access to Medical Care for Individuals With Mobility Disabilities. Makes other changes. Effective on January 1, 2012.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)

Status: (Failed) 2013-01-08 - Session Sine Die [SB1577 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2011-SB1577-Engrossed.html

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AN ACT concerning health facilities.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Hospital Licensing Act is amended by
changing Section 6.25 as follows:
(210 ILCS 85/6.25)
Sec. 6.25. Safe patient handling policy.
(a) In this Section:
"Health care worker" means an individual providing direct
patient care services who may be required to lift, transfer,
reposition, or move a patient.
"Nurse" means an advanced practice nurse, a registered
nurse, or a licensed practical nurse licensed under the Nurse
Practice Act.
"Safe lifting equipment and accessories" means mechanical
equipment designed to lift, move, reposition, and transfer
patients, including, but not limited to, fixed and portable
ceiling lifts, sit-to-stand lifts, slide sheets and boards,
slings, and repositioning and turning sheets.
"Safe lifting team" means at least 2 individuals who are
trained in the use of both safe lifting techniques and safe
lifting equipment and accessories, including the
responsibility for knowing the location and condition of such

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equipment and accessories.
(b) A hospital must adopt and ensure implementation of a
policy to identify, assess, and develop strategies to control
risk of injury to patients and nurses and other health care
workers associated with the lifting, transferring,
repositioning, or movement of a patient. The policy shall
establish a process that, at a minimum, includes all of the
following:
(1) Analysis of the risk of injury to patients and
nurses and other health care workers posted by the patient
handling needs of the patient populations served by the
hospital and the physical environment in which the patient
handling and movement occurs.
(2) Education and training of nurses and other direct
patient care providers in the identification, assessment,
and control of risks of injury to patients and nurses and
other health care workers during patient handling and on
safe lifting policies and techniques and current lifting
equipment.
(3) Evaluation of alternative ways to reduce risks
associated with patient handling, including evaluation of
equipment and the environment.
(4) Restriction, to the extent feasible with existing
equipment and aids, of manual patient handling or movement
of all or most of a patient's weight except for emergency,
life-threatening, or otherwise exceptional circumstances.

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(5) Collaboration with and an annual report to the
nurse staffing committee.
(6) Procedures for a nurse to refuse to perform or be
involved in patient handling or movement that the nurse in
good faith believes will expose a patient or nurse or other
health care worker to an unacceptable risk of injury.
(7) Submission of an annual report to the hospital's
governing body or quality assurance committee on
activities related to the identification, assessment, and
development of strategies to control risk of injury to
patients and nurses and other health care workers
associated with the lifting, transferring, repositioning,
or movement of a patient.
(8) In developing architectural plans for construction
or remodeling of a hospital or unit of a hospital in which
patient handling and movement occurs, consideration of the
feasibility of incorporating patient handling equipment or
the physical space and construction design needed to
incorporate that equipment.
(9) Fostering and maintaining patient safety, dignity,
self-determination, and choice, including the following
policies, strategies, and procedures:
(A) the existence and availability of a trained
safe lifting team;
(B) a policy of advising patients of a range of
transfer and lift options, including adjustable

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diagnostic and treatment equipment, mechanical lifts,
and provision of a trained safe lifting team;
(C) the right of a competent patient, or guardian
of a patient adjudicated incompetent, to choose among
the range of transfer and lift options, subject to the
provisions of subparagraph (E) of this paragraph (9);
(D) procedures for documenting, upon admission and
as status changes, a mobility assessment and plan for
lifting, transferring, repositioning, or movement of a
patient, including the choice of the patient or
patient's guardian among the range of transfer and lift
options; and
(E) incorporation of such safe lifting procedures,
techniques, and equipment as are consistent with
applicable federal law.
(Source: P.A. 96-389, eff. 1-1-10; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10.)