AR HB1815

Health facilities must collect and submit quarterly data to the Department of Health on healthcare-associated infection rates, including central line-associated bloodstream infections and antimicrobial stewardship program activities, with reports due by April 30, July 31, October 31, and January 31.

The Department of Health shall submit annual reports to the Governor, Legislative Council, and relevant legislative committees summarizing healthcare-associated infection data with aggregate statistics only, excluding facility-identifiable information.

The Advisory Committee on Healthcare Acquired Infections shall include representatives from hospitals, outpatient surgery centers, nursing staff, physicians, pharmacists, infection-control professionals, academic researchers, and consumer organizations to make recommendations on infection prevention guidelines and training curricula.

By July 1, 2018, the Department of Health must adopt and implement a statewide antimicrobial and antibiotic stewardship policy and require all health facilities to adopt corresponding policies as a condition of licensure.

Health facilities must establish multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship workgroups with at least one knowledgeable physician or pharmacist and develop processes to evaluate the judicious use of antibiotics.