Section 1288.5 Of Article 3.5. Hospital Infectious Disease Control Program From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 2. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 3.5.
1288.5
. (a) By July 1, 2007, the department shall appoint a
Healthcare Associated Infection Advisory Committee (HAI-AC) that
shall make recommendations related to methods of reporting cases of
hospital acquired infections occurring in general acute care
hospitals, and shall make recommendations on the use of national
guidelines and the public reporting of process measures for
preventing the spread of HAI that are reported to the department
pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1288.8.
(b) The advisory committee shall include persons with expertise in
the surveillance, prevention, and control of hospital-acquired
infections, including department staff, local health department
officials, health care infection control professionals, hospital
administration professionals, health care providers, health care
consumers, physicians with expertise in infectious disease and
hospital epidemiology, and integrated health care systems experts or
representatives.
(c) The advisory committee shall meet at least every quarter and
shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for
travel-related expenses that include transportation, lodging, and
meals at the state per diem reimbursement rate.
(d) In addition to the responsibilities enumerated in subdivision
(a), the advisory committee shall do all of the following:
(1) Review and evaluate federal and state legislation,
regulations, and accreditation standards and communicate to the
department how hospital infection prevention and control programs
will be impacted.
(2) In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 1288.6,
recommend a method by which the number of infection prevention
professionals would be assessed in each hospital.
(3) Recommend an educational curriculum by which health facility
evaluator nurses and department consultants would be trained to
survey for hospital infection surveillance, prevention, and control
programs.
(4) Recommend a method by which hospitals are audited to determine
the validity and reliability of data submitted to the NHSN and the
department.
(5) Recommend a standardized method by which an HAI occurring
after hospital discharge would be identified.
(6) Recommend a method by which risk-adjusted HAI data would be
reported to the public, the Legislature, and the Governor.
(7) Recommend a standardized method by which department health
facility evaluator nurses and consultants would evaluate health care
workers for compliance with infection prevention procedures
including, but not limited to, hand hygiene and environmental
sanitation procedures.
(8) Recommend a method by which all hospital infection prevention
professionals would be trained to use the NHSN HAI surveillance
reporting system.