Health facilities: investigations: public disclosure.

Existing law establishes the State Department of Health Care Services and sets forth its powers and duties, including, but not limited to, the licensing and regulation of health facilities, with certain exceptions. Existing law requires the department to investigate complaints relating to long-term health facilities, as defined. This bill would require the department to complete its investigation and issue a citation within specified time periods, but would allow for an extension of these periods for up to 30 days if the department is unable to complete its investigation due to extenuating circumstances beyond its control, and would require the department to document these circumstances in its final determination. Existing law requires the confidentiality of all information and records obtained in the course of providing intake, assessment, and services pursuant to specified provisions of existing law to persons with developmental disabilities and to voluntary or involuntary recipients of services under the Lanterman-Petris Short Act or within a prescribed state or county hospital. Existing law authorizes disclosure of this information to certain authorized licensing personnel who are employed by, or who are authorized representatives of, the State Department of Public Health or State Department of Social Services, as necessary to the performance of their duties to inspect, license, and investigate health facilities and community care facilities, and to ensure that the standards of care and services provided in these facilities are adequate and appropriate and to ascertain compliance with the rules and regulations to which the facility is subject. Existing law prohibits the confidential information in the possession of these departments from containing the name of the patient or the person with a developmental disability. This bill would authorize public notice of the survey or licensing reports, or all class "AA," "A," or "B" violations issued by the State Department of Public Health, as specified, or facility evaluation, deficiency, or complaint investigation reports issued by the State Department of Social Services, if the information relates to a facility with a license capacity of 16 beds or more and does not include the name or personally identifiable information of any patient or person with a developmental disability. The bill would also prohibit the confidential information in the possession of the State Department of Public Health or State Department of Social Services from containing personally identifiable information about a patient or a person with a disability.