STATE OF NEW JERSEY
215th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2012 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator BARBARA BUONO
District 18 (Middlesex)
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires hospitals implement Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection prevention programs in all units except inpatient psychiatric units.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning the prevention of certain health care facility acquired infections and amending P.L.2007, c.120.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.2007, c.120 (C.26:2H-12.36) is amended to read as follows:
2. a. Within one month after the effective date of this act, all general hospitals licensed by the Department of Health and Senior Services pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et al.) shall implement [an] a Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection prevention program in [their intensive care unit or units, as applicable, and if the hospital has no intensive care unit, then in another high-risk unit such as a surgical unit, or other unit where there is significant risk of facility-acquired infections.
Ultimately, the hospital shall expand the infection prevention program to] all areas of the hospital, with the exception of an inpatient psychiatric unit, if applicable. [The expansion of the infection prevention program shall be completed as quickly as feasible, taking into account the hospital's patient population, physical plant and other facility-specific circumstances.]
b. In addition to any other best practices and effective strategies, the hospital shall incorporate the following strategies:
(1) identification and isolation of both MRSA colonized and MRSA infected patients by screening patients upon admission in order to break the chain of transmission;
(2) contact precautions for patients found to be MRSA positive, as "contact precautions" is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
(3) patient cultures for MRSA upon discharge [or transfer from the unit where the infection prevention program has been implemented,] from the hospital and flagging of patients who are readmitted to the hospital;
(4) strict adherence to hygiene guidelines;
(5) a written infections prevention and control policy with input from frontline caregivers; and
(6) a worker education requirement regarding modes of transmission of MRSA, use of protective equipment, disinfection policies and procedures, and other preventive measures.
c. A general hospital shall report to the Department of Health and Senior Services, in a manner and according to a schedule prescribed by the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, the number of cases of hospital-acquired MRSA that occur in its facility.
(cf: P.L.2007, c.120, s.2)
2. This act shall take effect on the 30th day after enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires hospitals to implement a Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection prevention program in all units of the hospital with the exception of inpatient psychiatric units, if applicable.
Where current law provides one month for hospitals to establish a MRSA infection control program in their intensive care unit, or if the hospital lacks an intensive care unit, in another unit with high risk of facility-acquired MRSA infection, it does not provide a clear timeframe for implementation of this program in other units of the hospital. This bill clarifies that these programs must be implemented within one month of enactment.