(a) By January 1, 2008, the department shall take all of the following actions to protect against HAI in general acute care hospitals statewide:

(1) Implement an HAI surveillance and prevention program designed to assess the department’s resource needs, educate health facility evaluator nurses in HAI, and educate department staff on methods of implementing recommendations for disease prevention.

(2) Revise existing and adopt new administrative regulations, as necessary, to incorporate current federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and standards for HAI prevention.

(3) Require that general acute care hospitals develop a process for evaluating the judicious use of antibiotics, the results of which shall be monitored jointly by appropriate representatives and committees involved in quality improvement activities.

(b) On and after January 1, 2008, each general acute care hospital shall implement and annually report to the department on its implementation of infection surveillance and infection prevention process measures that have been recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee, as suitable for a mandatory public reporting program. Initially, these process measures shall include the CDC guidelines for central line insertion practices, surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis, and influenza vaccination of patients and healthcare personnel. In consultation with the advisory committee, the department shall make this information public no later than six months after receiving the data.

(c) The advisory committee shall make recommendations for phasing in the implementation and public reporting of additional process measures and outcome measures by January 1, 2008, and, in doing so, shall consider the measures recommended by the CDC.

(d)  Each general acute care hospital shall also submit data on implemented process measures to the National Healthcare Safety Network of the CDC, or to any other scientifically valid national HAI reporting system based upon the recommendation of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee or to another scientifically valid reporting database, as determined by the department based on the recommendations of the HAI-AC. Hospitals shall utilize the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definitions and methodology for surveillance of HAI. Hospitals participating in the California Hospital Assessment and Reporting Task Force (CHART) shall publicly report those HAI measures as agreed to by all CHART hospitals.

(e) In addition to the requirements in subdivision (a), the department shall establish an infection surveillance, prevention, and control program to do all of the following:

(1) Designate infection prevention professionals to serve as consultants to the licensing and certification program.

(2) Provide education and training to department health facility evaluator nurses and consultants to effectively survey hospitals for compliance with infection surveillance, prevention, and control recommendations, as well as state and federal statutes and regulations.

(3) By January 1, 2011, in consultation with the HAI-AC, develop a scientifically valid statewide electronic reporting system or utilize an existing scientifically valid database system capable of receiving electronically transmitted reports from hospitals related to HAI.

(4) Provide current infection prevention and control information to the public on the Internet.

(5) Beginning January 1, 2011, provide to the Governor, the Legislature, and the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Health and Assembly Committee on Health, and post on the department’s Web site, an annual report of publicly reported HAI infection information received and reported pursuant to this article.

(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 294, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2009.)