Senate Bill sb0716

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 716

    By Senator Siplin





    19-294-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to hospitals; creating s.

  3         395.1033, F.S.; requiring the Agency for Health

  4         Care Administration to adopt a model protocol

  5         of uniform policies and procedures for

  6         hospitals to follow in the event of a natural

  7         disaster or state of emergency; requiring that

  8         specified procedures be included in the model

  9         protocol; requiring that hospitals provide

10         shelter space for children of hospital

11         employees who are on duty during an emergency;

12         requiring each hospital in the state to adopt

13         uniform policies and procedures to be followed

14         during an emergency based on the model protocol

15         developed by the agency; requiring that the

16         agency prescribe by rule a schedule for

17         hospitals to submit the uniform policies and

18         procedures for review and approval; providing

19         an effective date.

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21  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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23         Section 1.  Section 395.1033, Florida Statutes, is

24  created to read:

25         395.1033  Hospital protocol during a natural disaster

26  or state of emergency.--

27         (1)  The Agency for Health Care Administration shall

28  adopt by rule a model protocol of uniform policies and

29  procedures to be followed by hospitals licensed under this

30  chapter in the event of a natural disaster or state of

31  emergency declared under chapter 252. If an evacuation of the

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 716
    19-294-07




 1  facility may be required, the model protocol shall require

 2  that the hospital update any existing agreements between the

 3  hospital and ambulance services that provide transportation

 4  services within the geographical boundaries served by the

 5  hospital in order to ensure the prompt and orderly evacuation

 6  of patients.

 7         (a)  The model protocol must include procedures for

 8  training hospital personnel who will be called upon to carry

 9  out key roles during a declared state of emergency or an

10  evacuation of hospital patients. Any reassignment of personnel

11  must be based on the employee's professional training,

12  experience, and abilities. The protocol must provide direction

13  to hospital administrators in reassigning personnel to perform

14  essential duties and functions.

15         (b)  The model protocol shall require that the hospital

16  provide shelter space for the children of hospital employees

17  who are required to be on duty at the hospital during a

18  natural disaster or declared state of emergency. The shelter

19  plan must ensure that adequate staff are provided for the

20  shelter and that there is a reliable communications system.

21         (c)  During the postdisaster response and recovery

22  period if supplies are available, the model protocol shall

23  require that the hospital give special consideration to

24  supplying employees with ice, food, and gasoline in order to

25  assist employees in performing their duties.

26         (2)  Based on the model protocol adopted by the agency,

27  each hospital shall adopt uniform policies and procedures to

28  be implemented by the hospital in the event of a natural

29  disaster or state of emergency. The policies and procedures

30  must provide for the proper staffing of the hospital before

31  and during a declared state of emergency and for the

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 716
    19-294-07




 1  evacuation of the hospital if necessary. The hospital shall

 2  update its existing agreements with ambulance services within

 3  the geographical boundaries served by the hospital in order to

 4  reflect the procedures to be followed if it is necessary to

 5  evacuate the hospital.

 6         (3)  The agency shall prescribe by rule a schedule for

 7  each hospital to submit its adopted policies and procedures to

 8  the agency for review and approval.

 9         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

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12                          SENATE SUMMARY

13    Requires the Agency for Health Care Administration to
      adopt a model protocol of uniform policies and procedures
14    for hospitals to follow in the event of a natural
      disaster or declared state of emergency. Requires that
15    the model protocol require agreements with ambulance
      services for the evacuation of patients, provide staffing
16    and training requirements, and require that shelter space
      be provided for children of hospital employees. Requires
17    each hospital to adopt policies and procedures based on
      the agency's model protocol and submit the policies and
18    procedures to the agency for approval.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.