PRINTER'S NO. 245
No. 223 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY DeLUCA, VAN HORNE, YOUNGBLOOD, TRELLO, ROONEY,
PISTELLA, MUNDY, LEVDANSKY, JAMES, THOMAS, STABACK, CARONE,
PESCI, OLASZ, PETRARCA, BOSCOLA, BELARDI, WOJNAROSKI, WALKO,
MARKOSEK, ROBINSON, MANDERINO, SHANER, BROWNE, ITKIN, MELIO,
PRESTON, E. Z. TAYLOR, STEELMAN, CASORIO, BELFANTI AND
WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 4, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
FEBRUARY 4, 1997
AN ACT
1 Requiring that invasive medical procedures be performed by
2 licensed or certified persons and that name tags be worn by
3 certain health care employees.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Definitions.
7 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
8 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
9 context clearly indicates otherwise:
10 "Health care facility." The term includes, but is not
11 limited to, a general or special hospital, including psychiatric
12 hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, ambulatory surgical
13 facilities, long-term care nursing facilities, cancer treatment
14 centers, drug and alcohol treatment facilities, both profit and
15 nonprofit, including those operated by an agency of State or
16 local government. The term does not include any of the
1 following:
2 (1) An office used primarily for private or group
3 practice by health care practitioners where no reviewable
4 clinically related health service is offered.
5 (2) A facility providing treatment solely on the basis
6 of prayer or spiritual means in accordance with the tenets of
7 any church or religious denomination.
8 (3) A facility operated by a religious organization for
9 the purpose of providing health care services exclusively to
10 clergy or other persons in a religious profession who are
11 members of the religious denomination operating the facility.
12 Section 2. Invasive procedures.
13 An invasive medical procedure performed in a health care
14 facility involving a body cavity or body orifice or the
15 application of a medical instrument or needle must be performed
16 by a person licensed or certified by this Commonwealth to
17 perform the procedure within the person's scope of practice.
18 Section 3. Name tags.
19 Name tags shall be worn by all health care facility employees
20 unless not clinically feasible. A person providing patient care
21 shall display on the person's name tag any professional
22 designation recognized by the Commonwealth.
23 Section 4. Effective date.
24 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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