Workers' compensation: hospital employers: compensation.

Existing law provides that an injury of an employee arising out of and in the course of employment is generally compensable through the workers' compensation system. Existing law provides that, in the case of certain public employees, the term "injury" includes heart trouble, hernia, pneumonia, meningitis, lower back impairment, and other injuries and diseases. This bill would provide, with respect to hospital employees who provide direct patient care in an acute care hospital, that the term "injury" includes a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin infection (MRSA skin infection) that develops or manifests itself during the period of the person's employment with the hospital. This bill would create a presumption that a MRSA skin infection arises out of and in the course of the person's employment if the MRSA skin infection develops or manifests, as specified. This bill would prohibit attributing a MRSA skin infection that develops or manifests in those cases to any disease or skin infection existing prior to that development or manifestation. Existing law requires any physician who prepares a report addressing the issue of permanent disability due to a claimed industrial injury to address the issue of causation of the permanent disability, subject to exemptions for specified injuries or illnesses. This bill would also exempt a MRSA skin infection that develops or manifests, as specified, for hospital employees who provide direct patient care in an acute care hospital from the application of this requirement.