Rep. TOM CAMPBELL (R-Roy)
2nd LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT
Olympia office: 334 John L. O'Brien Building
PO Box 40600 Olympia, WA 98504-0600
Office: (360) 786-7912

For immediate release:   March 9, 2007

House passes bill to shift discipline of health care-providers to DOH

Olympia -- A measure to give the state Dept. of Health discipline authority over health care providers who demonstrate negligence, incompetence or criminal actions with patients, tonight, passed the House by a vote of 70 to 27.

House Bill 1103, sponsored by Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Roy), shifts health care discipline responsibility from the profession's boards to DOH to investigate complaints, make charging decisions, and conduct emergency license suspensions of errant providers.

"Consumers demand transparency in oversight so they can know and trust the ability of their health care providers," Campbell said. "This bill will give the professionals in the Dept. of Health the independence discipline authority so our citizens will know they can trust the system, and that violators will be punished."

"This bill is written for the patients, not the professionals," Campbell said on the House floor. "Passage of this bill is an emergency, and we need put the patient first."

The major provisions of the legislation require background checks of health care providers who operate in the state. It also creates sanctioning guidelines for all boards and commissions that will provide predictable and appropriate sanctions.

The measure now goes to the Senate for consideration.

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Contact: Rep. Tom Campbell at (360) 786-7912 or campbell.tom@leg.wa.gov