SHB 2341 -
By Representative Jinkins
ADOPTED 02/13/2012
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 A new section is added to chapter 70.41 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) As of January 1, 2013, each hospital that is recognized by the
internal revenue service as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity must make its
federally required community health needs assessment widely available
to the public within fifteen days of submission to the internal revenue
service. Following completion of the initial community health needs
assessment, each hospital in accordance with the internal revenue
service, shall complete and make widely available to the public an
assessment once every three years.
(2) Unless contained in the community health needs assessment under
subsection (1) of this section, a hospital subject to the requirements
under subsection (1) of this section shall make public a description of
the community served by the hospital, including both a geographic
description and a description of the general population served by the
hospital; and demographic information such as leading causes of death,
levels of chronic illness, and descriptions of the medically
underserved, low-income, and minority, or chronically ill populations
in the community.
(3)(a) Each hospital subject to the requirements of subsection (1)
of this section shall make widely available to the public a community
benefit implementation strategy within one year of completing its
community health needs assessment. In developing the implementation
strategy, hospitals shall consult with community-based organizations
and stakeholders, and local public health jurisdictions, as well as any
additional consultations the hospital decides to undertake. Unless
contained in the implementation strategy under this subsection (3)(a),
the hospital must provide a brief explanation for not accepting
recommendations for community benefit proposals identified in the
assessment through the stakeholder consultation process, such as
excessive expense to implement or infeasibility of implementation of
the proposal.
(b) Implementation strategies must be evidence-based, when
available; or development and implementation of innovative programs and
practices should be supported by evaluation measures.
(4) For the purposes of this section, the term "widely available to
the public" has the same meaning as in the internal revenue service
guidelines."
Correct the title.
EFFECT: Removes public hospital district hospitals from the bill
so that it only applies to hospitals that are recognized as nonprofit
entities by the internal revenue service.
Requires nonprofit hospitals to make widely available to the public
the community health needs assessments completed for the federal
government. Unless contained in the community health needs assessment,
requires nonprofit hospitals to complete a detailed description of the
community served by the hospital, including specific demographic
information, and make it available to the public. Eliminates all other
requirements for a community health needs assessment.
Requires nonprofit hospitals to complete and make widely available
to the public a community benefit implementation strategy which must be
developed in consultation with community-based organizations and
stakeholders, and local public health jurisdictions. Requires
hospitals to provide a brief explanation for not accepting
recommendations for community benefit proposals identified by the
stakeholder process. Eliminates all other requirements for a community
benefits implementation strategy.
Eliminates the requirement that community health needs assessments
and community benefit implementation strategies be reported to the
Department of Health and that DOH post them on its web site.
Eliminates legislative findings regarding community benefits
activities of hospitals. Eliminates the definition of "community
benefits," "community benefit implementation strategy," "community
building activities," and "community health needs assessment."
Eliminates DOH's rule-making duties to develop standards and report
on the community health needs assessments and community benefits
implementation strategies. Eliminates the use of the Hospital Data
Collection Account.