SB 5496 - DIGEST

Requires the department to make or cause to be made an inspection of all hospitals at least every eighteen months.

Provides that surveys conducted by the joint commission on the accreditation of health care organizations or the American osteopathic association on hospitals accredited by those bodies shall be deemed equivalent to a department survey for purposes of meeting the requirements for the survey specified in RCW 70.41.120 if the department determines that the applicable survey standards of the joint commission on the accreditation of health care organizations or the American osteopathic association are substantially equivalent to its own.

Provides that hospitals so surveyed shall provide to the department within thirty days of learning the result of a survey documentary evidence that the hospital has been certified as a result of a survey and the date of the survey.

Requires hospitals to make available to department surveyors the written reports of such surveys during department surveys, upon request.