Signed by Governor JB Pritzker

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that addresses racial disparities in medical care.

Highlights:

• Defines "nursing care committee" as an existing or newly created hospital-wide committee or committees of nurses whose functions, in part or whole, contribute to the development, recommendation, and review of the hospital nurse staffing plan (Sec. 1010.b).

• Alleges this Act attempts to achieve needed change through the use of, but not limited to, the Medicaid Managed Care Oversight Commission, the Health and Human Services Task Force, and a hospital closure moratorium, to address Illinois' long-standing health inequities (Sec. 1-5).

• Requires a community health worker to have the following core competencies (Sec. 5-5):

• Communication;

• Interpersonal skills and relationship building;

• Service coordination and navigation skills;

• Capacity-building;

• Advocacy;

• Presentation and facilitation skills;

• Organizational skills; cultural competency;

• Public health knowledge;

• Understanding of health systems and basic diseases;

• Behavioral health issues; and

• Field experience.

• Requires any hospital licensed under this Act or any hospital organized under the University of Illinois Hospital Act to, before the granting of any medical staff privileges to an applicant, or renewing a current medical staff member's privileges, request of the Director of Professional Regulation information concerning the licensure status, proper credentials, required certificates, and any disciplinary action taken against the applicant's or medical staff member's license, except (Sec. 10-5.a):

• For medical personnel who enter a hospital to obtain organs and tissues for transplant from a donor following the Illinois Anatomical Gift Act; or

• For medical personnel who have been granted disaster privileges according to the procedures and requirements established by rules adopted by the Department.

• Requires every hospital to implement a written hospital-wide staffing plan, recommended by a nursing care committee or committees, that provides for minimum direct care professional registered nurse-to-patient staffing needs for each inpatient care unit (Sec. 1010.c-1).

• Requires a health care worker who contacts law enforcement or files a report with law enforcement against a patient or individual because of workplace violence shall provide notice to the management of the health care provider by which he or she is employed within 3 days after contacting law enforcement or filing the report (Sec. 15.a).

• Specifies the inpatient, per diem rate to be paid to all safety-net hospitals for inpatient psychiatric services on and after January 1, 2021, will be at least $630 (Sec. 5-5.05.b-5).

• Establishes violations of this law cannot serve as the sole basis of a violation of parole, mandatory supervised release, probation, or conditional discharge, or any seizure of property under any State law authorizing civil forfeiture so long as the evidence for the violation was acquired as a result of the person seeking or obtaining emergency medical assistance in the event of an overdose (Sec. 414.b).

• Requires persons who are employees of the Adult Protective Services division to complete training within 6 months after the effective date of this Act. The training will cover the following subjects (Sec. 3.1.c):

• Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

• Safety risks.

• Communication and behavior.

• Authorizes the Behavioral Health Workforce Education Center of Illinois to be structured as a multisite model, and the administering public institution of higher education will serve as the hub institution, complemented by secondary regional hubs, namely academic institutions, that serve rural and small urban areas and at least one academic institution serving a densely urban municipality with more than 1,000,000 inhabitants (Sec. 65-15.a).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that addresses racial disparities in medical care.

Highlights:

• Defines "nursing care committee" as an existing or newly created hospital-wide committee or committees of nurses whose functions, in part or whole, contribute to the development, recommendation, and review of the hospital nurse staffing plan (Sec. 1010.b).

• Alleges this Act attempts to achieve needed change through the use of, but not limited to, the Medicaid Managed Care Oversight Commission, the Health and Human Services Task Force, and a hospital closure moratorium, to address Illinois' long-standing health inequities (Sec. 1-5).

• Requires a community health worker to have the following core competencies (Sec. 5-5):

• Communication;

• Interpersonal skills and relationship building;

• Service coordination and navigation skills;

• Capacity-building;

• Advocacy;

• Presentation and facilitation skills;

• Organizational skills; cultural competency;

• Public health knowledge;

• Understanding of health systems and basic diseases;

• Behavioral health issues; and

• Field experience.

• Requires any hospital licensed under this Act or any hospital organized under the University of Illinois Hospital Act to, before the granting of any medical staff privileges to an applicant, or renewing a current medical staff member's privileges, request of the Director of Professional Regulation information concerning the licensure status, proper credentials, required certificates, and any disciplinary action taken against the applicant's or medical staff member's license, except (Sec. 10-5.a):

• For medical personnel who enter a hospital to obtain organs and tissues for transplant from a donor following the Illinois Anatomical Gift Act; or

• For medical personnel who have been granted disaster privileges according to the procedures and requirements established by rules adopted by the Department.

• Requires every hospital to implement a written hospital-wide staffing plan, recommended by a nursing care committee or committees, that provides for minimum direct care professional registered nurse-to-patient staffing needs for each inpatient care unit (Sec. 1010.c-1).

• Requires a health care worker who contacts law enforcement or files a report with law enforcement against a patient or individual because of workplace violence shall provide notice to the management of the health care provider by which he or she is employed within 3 days after contacting law enforcement or filing the report (Sec. 15.a).

• Specifies the inpatient, per diem rate to be paid to all safety-net hospitals for inpatient psychiatric services on and after January 1, 2021, will be at least $630 (Sec. 5-5.05.b-5).

• Establishes violations of this law cannot serve as the sole basis of a violation of parole, mandatory supervised release, probation, or conditional discharge, or any seizure of property under any State law authorizing civil forfeiture so long as the evidence for the violation was acquired as a result of the person seeking or obtaining emergency medical assistance in the event of an overdose (Sec. 414.b).

• Requires persons who are employees of the Adult Protective Services division to complete training within 6 months after the effective date of this Act. The training will cover the following subjects (Sec. 3.1.c):

• Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

• Safety risks.

• Communication and behavior.

• Authorizes the Behavioral Health Workforce Education Center of Illinois to be structured as a multisite model, and the administering public institution of higher education will serve as the hub institution, complemented by secondary regional hubs, namely academic institutions, that serve rural and small urban areas and at least one academic institution serving a densely urban municipality with more than 1,000,000 inhabitants (Sec. 65-15.a).

Full Bill Text