Hospital infections reporting bill close to becoming law

In the end, everyone saw the need for hospitals to report rates of hospital-acquired infections — even hospitals. So when Rep. Tom Campbell's bill came to the floor of the state Senate Wednesday night, it passed unanimously.

House Bill 1106 now goes back to the House to approve some changes before going to the governor's desk to become law.

The measure would require hospitals eventually to report five types of infections. Beginning next year, they will report bloodstream infections associated with large intravenous hookups, called central lines, in intensive-care-unit patients. Over the next few years, other types of infections will be added, including ventilator-associated pneumonia and surgical-site infections for specific procedures.

"I think we're going to see some very good things happen with the hospitals," said Campbell, R-Roy, who has pushed this issue for years. "I think the public will be well served."

The Washington State Hospital Association, which has previously opposed other versions of the bill, is satisified that the current measure wouldn't require hospitals to report the same information to multiple agencies.

Spokeswoman Cassie Sauer said the association is also pleased that the bill encompasses other hospital association principles for mandatory public reporting, including that it must improve care and quality. The association wanted national standards for consistency, and those are included in the bill.

The bill requires the Department of Health to publish reports of infection rates at individual hospitals by Dec. 1, 2009. It also protects the information used to compile the reports from being used in civil lawsuits.

Carol M. Ostrom: 206-464-2249 or costrom@seattletimes.com