Panel to Help with Implementation of Hospital-Acquired Infection Law
A panel of infection control experts—including several members of the Pennsylvania Medical Society—was appointed to help implement a law requiring hospitals and nursing homes to report infections.
Act 52 of 2007—aimed at reducing hospital-acquired infections—mandates that hospitals and nursing homes make monthly infection reports to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This data will be accessible to the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority.
In addition to reporting requirements, the act requires that hospitals, nursing homes, and ambulatory surgical facilities develop infection-control plans and that insurance companies pay for routine cultures and infection screenings that are part of the facility’s plan.
The 13-member panel was appointed by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority’s Board of Directors. Pennsylvania Medical Society members Erick J. Bergquist, MD, PhD; Daniel Haimowitz, MD, FACP, CMD; and Carlene A. Muto, MD, MS, were appointed to the panel.
Last Updated: 8/12/2008