General acute care hospitals: cardiac catheterization.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities, including general acute care hospitals, administered by the State Department of Public Health. A violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law authorizes the department to approve, as prescribed, a general acute care hospital to offer specified special services, including, but not limited to, cardiac catheterization laboratory services, in addition to the basic services offered under the facility's license. This bill would authorize the expansion of a cardiac catheterization laboratory service if specified requirements are met, to apply to no more than two general acute care hospitals. Because this bill would expand the definition of a 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.