MEDICAL ERROR REPORTING LAW

Creates the Medical Error Reporting Law. Requires a health care facility to develop and implement a patient safety plan for the purpose of improving the health and safety of patients at the facility. Requires a health care facility to report to the Department of Public Health every serious preventable adverse incident that occurs in that facility. Provides that a health care facility shall ensure that the patient affected by a serious preventable adverse incident is informed of the serious preventable adverse incident. Creates the Health Care Practitioner Reporting Law. Requires certain persons and entities to promptly report incidents when a health care practitioner has caused injury or death to a patient while practicing within the scope of that practitioner's profession or for violation of Section 11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code to the appropriate licensing board having jurisdiction over the health care practitioner. Imposes criminal penalties for false reports. Creates the Health Care Consumer Information Law. Requires the Department of Public Health, in consultation with the Medical Licensing Board and the Podiatric Medical Licensing Board, to collect and maintain information concerning all physicians and podiatrists licensed in this State for the purpose of creating a profile of each physician and podiatrist. Provides that the profiles shall be made available to the public. Provides what information must be included in the profiles and what physicians may include. Provides that the Department shall contract with a public or private entity for the purpose of developing, administering, and maintaining the physician and podiatrist profiles required pursuant to the Law. Requires the Director of Public Health to report on the status of the physician and podiatrist profiles to the General Assembly. Amends the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Allows for the collection of information needed to complete the physician profiles. Changes the period of time within which certain disciplinary action proceedings concerning licensure under the Act must be commenced from 3 years to 5 years and provides that, except for actions based on grounds concerning cheating on or attempting to subvert licensing examinations, practicing under a false or an assumed name, and fraud or misrepresentation in applying for, procuring, or renewing a license, actions must be commenced within 8 years (rather than 5 years). Effective immediately.