Emergency medical services.

Under existing law, the State Department of Public Health administers provisions governing the licensure and regulation of health facilities, including hospitals. A violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law requires any hospital that provides emergency medical services to provide notice of any intended elimination or reduction of emergency services as soon as possible, but not later than 90 days prior to a planned elimination or reduction in services to the department, the local government agency in charge of health services, and specified entities under contract with the hospital to provide the services. Existing law requires a health facility that implements a downgrade or closure to make reasonable efforts to ensure that the community served by the facility is informed. This bill would, instead, require the notice to be provided 120 days prior to the planned reduction or elimination of the level of emergency medical services, and would require the notice to also be provided to all employees of the hospital. It would also require that the hospital provide public notice of, and hold a minimum of 3 public meetings on, the intended change in a manner that is likely to reach a significant number of residents of the community served by the facility. The bill would also require that any health facility implementing a downgrade or change hold a minimum of 3 public meetings, as specified, to inform and ensure that the community served by its facility is informed of the downgrade or closure. Existing law requires, with a certain exception, not less than 30 days prior to closing a general acute care or psychiatric hospital, eliminating a supplemental service, or relocating the provision of a supplemental service to a different campus, the hospital to provide certain notice regarding the proposed closure, elimination, or relocation to the public and the applicable administering department, in accordance with certain procedures. This bill would, instead, require the notice regarding the proposed closure, elimination, or relocation to be provided to the public and the applicable administering department, in accordance with certain procedures, 60 days prior to closing a general acute care or psychiatric hospital, eliminating a supplemental service, or relocating the provision of a supplemental service to a different campus. Because the bill creates a new crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.