CA AB2153

Requires all licensed general acute care hospitals with emergency departments to calculate and record a crowding score every 4 hours (or every 8 hours if no level 4+ crowding in previous 30 days; daily for hospitals with fewer than 14,000 annual ED visits) using a specified formula based on patient volume, admissions, ICU patients, and wait times.

Mandates hospitals determine crowding score ranges for six crowding categories (level 1 lowest to level 6 highest) specific to their emergency department.

Requires hospitals to develop and implement full-capacity protocols by January 1, 2012 addressing administrator notification, hospital operations, ED operations, and medical staff coordination for each crowding category level.

Requires hospitals to file full-capacity protocols with the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development and annually report any revisions.

Repeals all provisions on January 1, 2015.