General acute care hospitals: special services.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities, including general acute care hospitals, administered by the State Department of Public Health. A violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law authorizes the department to approve, as prescribed, a general acute care hospital to offer specified special services, including, but not limited to, cardiac catheterization laboratory services, in addition to the basic services offered under the facility's license. This bill would require the department to adopt specified regulations regarding cardiac catheterization laboratory services. This bill would permit, until regulations are adopted, a general acute care hospital that maintains a cardiac surgery service to provide specified services in its cardiac catheterization laboratory. This bill would require a general acute care hospital that is approved to provide cardiac catheterization laboratory service to develop, maintain, and implement certain policies and procedures. The bill would also require the department to conduct a 16-month pilot program to allow any freestanding cardiac catheterization laboratory to perform both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, as specified. Because this bill would expand the definition of a crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.