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PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 09-384

NOTICES

Reporting Requirements for Nursing Homes under Chapter 4 of the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error Act (MCARE)

[39 Pa.B. 1182]
[Saturday, February 28, 2009]

Purpose

   The purpose of this notice is to give long-term care nursing facilities (nursing homes) final notice of the rollout dates for mandatory reporting to the Patient Safety Authority (Authority) and the Department of Health (Department) under Chapter 4 of the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error Act (40 P. S. §§ 1303.401--1303.411) relating to Health Care-Associated Infections (Act 52, 2007).

Reporting Requirements for Nursing Homes

   In addition to reporting under the Health Care Facilities Act (35 P. S. §§ 448.101--448.904b), requires that nursing homes electronically report patient-specific health care-associated infections (HAIs) to the Authority and the Department using Nationally recognized standards based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definitions.

   Nursing homes will report HAIs to both the Authority and the Department simultaneously through a single web-based interface: the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (PA-PSRS).

   The Authority has been conducting approximately 30 live training sessions throughout this Commonwealth to provide training to over 1,100 nursing home personnel regarding reporting HAIs through PA-PSRS.

   The new reporting system will be pilot tested in six nursing facilities in April 2009.

   Approximately 1 week before mandatory reporting begins facilities will electronically receive their PA-PSRS user ID and passwords. This will allow the facilities time to verify and if necessary, update their contact information.

   Mandatory reporting will be phased in beginning on June 1, 2009, by geography as follows:

Eastern portion of Pennsylvania: June 1
Central portion of Pennsylvania: June 15
Western portion of Pennsylvania: June 22

   Counties included in each geographical region are identified as follows.

Western Central East
(June 22) (June 15) (June 1)
CameronAdams Berks
Clarion Bedford Bucks
ClearfieldBlair Carbon
CrawfordBradford Chester
Elk Centre Delaware
Erie ClintonLackawanna
ForrestColumbia Lancaster
Jefferson Cumberland Lehigh
LawrenceDauphin Luzerne
McKean FranklinMonroe
Mercer Fulton Montgomery
Venango HuntingdonNorthampton
Warren Juanita Philadelphia
Allegheny LebanonPike
Armstrong LycomingSchuylkill
BeaverMifflin Susquehanna
ButlerMontourWayne
CambriaNorthumberland Wyoming
Fayette Perry
GreenePotter
Indiana Snyder
SomersetSullivan
Washington Tioga
Westmoreland Union
York

   The list of infections and criteria for determining HAIs were published at 38 Pa.B. 5239 (September 20, 2008).

   Nursing homes will be notified of future educational programs, training opportunities and other HAI related information through e-mail notices, direct mailings, outreach to industry associations and future public notices.

MICHAEL E. DOERING,   
Executive Director

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 09-384. Filed for public inspection February 27, 2009, 9:00 a.m.]


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