For Immediate Release: March 7, 2006

Senate guts bill to require background checks on healthcare professionals
 
For the third time in recent weeks, the Senate has either gutted or killed House bills intended to protect patients from incompetent healthcare professions, charged Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Roy).
 
Today, the Senate refused a conference committee to work out differences between the House and Senate on Campbell's bill to require background checks on healthcare professionals. As passed by the House, 85-13, HB 2431 would have required background checks on all healthcare practitioners who apply for a state license. "The Senate deleted the meaningful background check requirement, and simply said, 'let's study it,'" Campbell said.
 
"People will be harmed because of this inexcusable lack of action. A study would be a misrepresentation that we are doing something to screen out dangerous providers," Campbell said. "A study does not address a patient's right to know the capability or the success record of their healthcare practitioner." He added, "We need to know if a practitioner may have lost a license to practice in another state because of incompetence or dangerous, harmful practices." 
 
Campbell said he's finding a troublesome pattern in Senate actions this session on bills intended to protect the patients of healthcare providers. "They did the same thing to House Bill 1071," he said. "Rather than allow emergency license suspension of health care professionals which would establish a speedy process for disciplining health professionals who are guilty of unprofessional conduct while dealing with patients, the Senate decided to study that one, too, after the House passed it, 96-2."
 
On Campbell's third major health bill (HB 1015) that sought to require hospitals that provide acute care to collect and report information about hospital-acquired infections in their healthcare facilities, including surgical site infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, central line-related bloodstream infections and urinary tract infections. Campbell said the Senate killed that bill outright. "Two-million patients suffer from hospital-acquired infections every year and 100,000 of them die from the infections," he added.  
 
"I find the Senate actions on these three bills troubling because they continue to vote against important measures intended to protect patients," Campbell said. "We sent them a very strong package of healthcare legislation for consumer protection, and they refused them all."
 
On  House Bill 2431, he said "a simple background check of healthcare practitioners" is in the best interests of the patient. "We voted to require state Park employees to undergo a background check, why not require the same of people who hold the lives of our children and adults in their hands," he asked.
 
Campbell, a healthcare practitioner himself, said most healthcare providers are competent and able practitioners who do a wonderful job and a great service to their patients. "But, we can't lose sight that there are far too many instances of people in the healthcare profession with dubious records of success in their background."
 
He cited the recent conviction of a King County gynecologist who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexual crimes against four patients. "This was a licensed physician who exploited vulnerable people who trusted him as a healthcare provider," Campbell said. "Ask his victims if we should continue to study this kind of criminal action, rather than work to prevent it."
 
Campbell said he's accepted the "gracious offer" of Gov. Chris Gregoire to work toward a strong healthcare package of bills next year. "She's in agreement that the system isn't functional, and I will join her workgroup to bring about a strong package next session," Campbell said.

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For more information, contact Rep. Tom Campbell @ 786-7276