AN ACT
Relating to hospital regulation and inspection; amending RCW 70.41.030,
18.106.010, 70.41.040, 70.41.120, and 74.42.600; adding a new section to
chapter 70.41 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE
OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec.
1. RCW
70.41.030 and 1989 c 175 s 127 are each amended to read as follows:
The
department shall establish and adopt such minimum standards and rules
pertaining to the construction, maintenance, and operation of hospitals, and
rescind, amend, or modify such rules from time to time, as are necessary in the
public interest, and particularly for the establishment and maintenance of
standards of hospitalization required for the safe and adequate care and
treatment of patients. To the extent possible, the department shall
endeavor to make such minimum standards and rules consistent in format and
general content with the applicable hospital survey standards of the joint
commission on the accreditation of health care organizations. The department
shall adopt standards that are at least equal to recognized applicable national
standards pertaining to medical gas piping systems.
Sec.
2. RCW
18.106.010 and 1983 c 124 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
Unless
a different meaning is plainly required by the context, the following words and
phrases as hereinafter used in this chapter shall have the following meaning:
(1)
"Advisory board" means the state advisory board of plumbers;
(2)
"Department" means the department of labor and industries;
(3)
"Director" means the director of department of labor and industries;
(4)
"Journeyman plumber" means any person who has been issued a
certificate of competency by the department of labor and industries as provided
in this chapter;
(5) "Medical
gas piping" means oxygen, nitrous oxide, high pressure nitrogen, medical
compressed air, and medical vacuum systems;
(6)
"Specialty plumber" means anyone who has been issued a specialty
certificate of competency limited to installation, maintenance, and repair of
the plumbing of single family dwellings, duplexes, and apartment buildings
which do not exceed three stories;
(((6)))
(7) "Plumbing" means that craft involved in installing,
altering, repairing and renovating potable water systems ((and)),
liquid waste systems, and medical gas piping systems within a building:
PROVIDED, That installation in a water system of water softening or water
treatment equipment shall not be within the meaning of plumbing as used in this
chapter.
Sec.
3. RCW
70.41.040 and 1985 c 213 s 18 are each amended to read as follows:
The
enforcement of the provisions of this chapter and the standards, rules and
regulations established under this chapter, shall be the responsibility of the
department which shall cooperate with the joint commission on the accreditation
of ((hospitals)) health care organizations. The department shall
advise on the employment of personnel and the personnel shall be under the
merit system or its successor.
Sec.
4. RCW
70.41.120 and 1985 c 213 s 21 are each amended to read as follows:
The
department shall make or cause to be made at least yearly an inspection of all
hospitals. Every inspection of a hospital may include an inspection of every
part of the premises. The department may make an examination of all phases of
the hospital operation necessary to determine compliance with the law and the
standards, rules and regulations adopted thereunder. Any licensee or applicant
desiring to make alterations or additions to its facilities or to construct new
facilities shall, before commencing such alteration, addition or new
construction, comply with the regulations prescribed by the department.
No
hospital licensed pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be required
to be inspected or licensed under other state laws or rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder, or local ordinances, relative to hotels, restaurants,
lodging houses, boarding houses, places of refreshment, nursing homes,
maternity homes, or psychiatric hospitals.
To
avoid unnecessary duplication in inspections, the department shall coordinate
with the department of social and health services when inspecting facilities
over which both agencies have jurisdiction, the facilities including but not
necessarily being limited to hospitals with both acute care and skilled nursing
or psychiatric nursing functions.
Sec.
5. RCW
74.42.600 and 1987 c 476 s 28 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) In
addition to the inspection required by chapter 18.51 RCW, the department shall
inspect the facility for compliance with resident rights and direct care
standards of this chapter. The department may inspect any and all other
provisions randomly, by exception profiles, or during complaint investigations.
(2) If
the facility has not complied with all the requirements of this chapter, the
department shall notify the facility in writing that the facility is in
noncompliance and describe the reasons for the facility's noncompliance and the
department may impose penalties in accordance with RCW 18.51.060.
(3)
To avoid unnecessary duplication in inspections, the department shall
coordinate with the department of health when inspecting medicaid-certified or
medicare-certified, or both, long-term care beds in hospitals for compliance
with Titles XVIII or XIX of the social security act.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 6. A new
section is added to chapter 70.41 RCW to read as follows:
Notwithstanding
RCW 70.41.120, a hospital accredited by the joint commission on the
accreditation of health care organizations is not subject to the annual
inspection provided for in RCW 70.41.120 if:
(1)
The department determines that the applicable survey standards of the joint
commission on the accreditation of health care organizations are substantially
equivalent to its own;
(2) It
has been inspected by the joint commission on the accreditation of health care
organizations within the previous twelve months; and
(3)
The department receives directly from the joint commission on the accreditation
of health care organizations or the hospital itself copies of the survey
reports prepared by the joint commission on the accreditation of health care
organizations demonstrating that the hospital meets applicable standards.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 7. The
Washington state department of health shall study alternative strategies for
achieving greater efficiency in the hospital building design and review
process, including, but not necessarily limited to:
(1)
Developing at the state level, with provision for input by local jurisdictions,
a single point of building plan review and conflict resolution;
(2)
Developing a process for joint conduct of building plan review by affected
jurisdictions; and
(3)
Reviewing the feasibility of developing a system whereby building inspectors
are required to accept design decisions that are made at the time a building
permit is granted, except for changes due to unforeseen circumstances.
The
department shall report its findings and recommendations to the appropriate
committees of the legislature by January 1, 1996.
