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 8, 2007

Bill to require hospitals to report infections in health care facilities passes House 86 to 10

Olympia -- Washington State is getting closer to becoming the 16th state to require hospitals to report hospital-acquired infections. The House today approved by 86-10 House Bill 1106 to require such reporting. Sponsor of the bill, Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Roy) said such a law is " long overdue."

Campbell's bill now goes to the Senate for consideration, where he says he's hopeful it will pass this year. Campbell has introduced similar legislation for the past two years. Last year it passed the House with a strong bi-partisan vote, but the Senate turned action into a study, Campbell said.

"This is such an important measure because hospital-acquired infections is the eighth cause of death in the nation," Campbell said. "When someone goes to a hospital for any ailment, they should have at least some comfort that they won't suffer from the many other infections they can be exposed to in a hospital environment."
    In floor debate, Campbell said it is "very common and very tragic for people who go to the hospital to come down with infections they didn't have when they walked through the door."  

House Bill 1106 would require hospitals, beginning on July 1, 2008, to collect data on certain health care associated infections and report the data to the federal government so the state Department of Health would have access to the information. On Dec. 1, 2009, the department would begin to publish at least annually a report that compares health-care associated infections outcomes at individual hospitals.

"This bill will allow people to better understand the quality of care they can expect when they have to go to a hospital," he said.

Each year, two-million Americans who are admitted to a hospital are exposed to a variety of infections. Of those, some 90 thousand die each year. In addition, Campbell pointed out, this costs the health care system $4.5 billion each year.

In 2003, Pennsylvania became the first state to require its hospitals to report health-care associated infections. Since then 14 other states have followed suit. Campbell wants Washington to be next. The bill needs support from the Senate and the signature of the governor to be come law. "I'm pretty confident that after three years of trying, we'll get there this year," he said.

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Click here for a PDF version of the House Bill Report on SHB 1106.  
 
Contact: Rep. Tom Campbell at (360) 786-7912 or campbell.tom@leg.wa.gov