(210 ILCS 85/1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 142)

Sec. 1. This Act may be cited as the Hospital Licensing Act.

(Source: Laws 1953, p. 811.)

(210 ILCS 85/2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 143)

Sec. 2. Purpose; findings.

(a) The purpose of this Act is to provide for the better protection of the public health through the development, establishment, and enforcement of standards (1) for the care of individuals in hospitals, (2) for the construction, maintenance, and operation of hospitals which, in light of advancing knowledge, will promote safe and adequate treatment of such individuals in hospital, and (3) that will have regard to the necessity of determining that a person establishing a hospital have the qualifications, background, character and financial resources to adequately provide a proper standard of hospital service for the community.

(b) The Illinois General Assembly finds:

(1) That the citizens of Illinois are not served by the inappropriate use of economic criteria in determining an individual's qualifications for initial or continuing medical staff membership or privileges.

(2) That the inappropriate use of economic criteria in determining an individual's qualifications for initial or continuing medical staff membership or privileges may deprive the citizens of Illinois access to a choice of the health care providers.

(3) That it is in the interest of the people of the State of Illinois to establish safeguards that (i) require hospitals and hospital based providers to explain to individual providers the reasons, including economic factors, for credentialing decisions, (ii) allow an opportunity for a fair hearing, and (iii) report economic credentialing to the Hospital Licensing Board for further study. As used in this Section and defined by the American Medical Association, "economic credentialing" means the use of economic criteria unrelated to quality of care or professional competency in determining an individual's qualifications for initial or continuing medical staff membership or privileges.

(Source: P.A. 88-654, eff. 1-1-95.)

(210 ILCS 85/3)

Sec. 3. As used in this Act:

(A) "Hospital" means any institution, place, building, buildings on a campus, or agency, public or private, whether organized for profit or not, devoted primarily to the maintenance and operation of facilities for the diagnosis and treatment or care of 2 or more unrelated persons admitted for overnight stay or longer in order to obtain medical, including obstetric, psychiatric and nursing, care of illness, disease, injury, infirmity, or deformity.

The term "hospital", without regard to length of stay, shall also include:

(a) any facility which is devoted primarily to providing psychiatric and related services and programs for the diagnosis and treatment or care of 2 or more unrelated persons suffering from emotional or nervous diseases;

(b) all places where pregnant females are received, cared for, or treated during delivery irrespective of the number of patients received; and

(c) on and after January 1, 2023, a rural emergency hospital, as that term is defined under subsection (kkk)(2) of Section 1861 of the federal Social Security Act; to provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, emergency rules to implement the changes made to the definition of "hospital" by this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly may be adopted by the Department subject to the provisions of Section 5-45 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

The term "hospital" includes general and specialized hospitals, tuberculosis sanitaria, mental or psychiatric hospitals and sanitaria, and includes maternity homes, lying-in homes, and homes for unwed mothers in which care is given during delivery.

The term "hospital" does not include:

(1) any person or institution required to be licensed pursuant to the Nursing Home Care Act, the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013, the ID/DD Community Care Act, or the MC/DD Act;

(2) hospitalization or care facilities maintained by the State or any department or agency thereof, where such department or agency has authority under law to establish and enforce standards for the hospitalization or care facilities under its management and control;

(3) hospitalization or care facilities maintained by the federal government or agencies thereof;

(4) hospitalization or care facilities maintained by any university or college established under the laws of this State and supported principally by public funds raised by taxation;

(5) any person or facility required to be licensed pursuant to the Substance Use Disorder Act;

(6) any facility operated solely by and for persons who rely exclusively upon treatment by spiritual means through prayer, in accordance with the creed or tenets of any well-recognized church or religious denomination;

(7) an Alzheimer's disease management center alternative health care model licensed under the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act; or

(8) any veterinary hospital or clinic operated by a veterinarian or veterinarians licensed under the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004 or maintained by a State-supported or publicly funded university or college.

(B) "Person" means the State, and any political subdivision or municipal corporation, individual, firm, partnership, corporation, company, association, or joint stock association, or the legal successor thereof.

(C) "Department" means the Department of Public Health of the State of Illinois.

(D) "Director" means the Director of Public Health of the State of Illinois.

(E) "Perinatal" means the period of time between the conception of an infant and the end of the first month after birth.

(F) "Federally designated organ procurement agency" means the organ procurement agency designated by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the service area in which a hospital is located; except that in the case of a hospital located in a county adjacent to Wisconsin which currently contracts with an organ procurement agency located in Wisconsin that is not the organ procurement agency designated by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services for the service area in which the hospital is located, if the hospital applies for a waiver pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1320b-8(a), it may designate an organ procurement agency located in Wisconsin to be thereafter deemed its federally designated organ procurement agency for the purposes of this Act.

(G) "Tissue bank" means any facility or program operating in Illinois that is certified by the American Association of Tissue Banks or the Eye Bank Association of America and is involved in procuring, furnishing, donating, or distributing corneas, bones, or other human tissue for the purpose of injecting, transfusing, or transplanting any of them into the human body. "Tissue bank" does not include a licensed blood bank. For the purposes of this Act, "tissue" does not include organs.

(H) "Campus", as this term applies to operations, has the same meaning as the term "campus" as set forth in federal Medicare regulations, 42 CFR 413.65.

(Source: P.A. 102-1118, eff. 1-18-23.)

(210 ILCS 85/4) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 145)

Sec. 4. No person shall establish a hospital without first obtaining a permit from the Department and no person shall open, conduct, operate, or maintain a hospital without first obtaining a license from the Department.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to impair or abridge the power of municipalities to license and regulate hospitals, provided that the municipal ordinance substantially complies with the minimum standards and regulations developed by the Department pursuant to the provisions of this Act. Such compliance shall be determined by the Department subject to review as provided in Section 13 of this Act. Section 13 of this Act shall also be applicable to the judicial review of final administrative decisions of the regulatory agency of the municipality. Any municipality having an ordinance licensing and regulating hospitals which provides for minimum standards and regulations substantially in compliance with those developed pursuant to this Act shall make such periodic reports to the Department as the Department deems necessary. This report shall include a list of hospitals meeting standards substantially equivalent to those promulgated by the Department under this Act, and upon the receipt of such report the Department may then issue a license to such hospital.

(Source: Laws 1965, p. 2350.)

(210 ILCS 85/4.5)

Sec. 4.5. Hospital with multiple locations; single license.

(a) A hospital located in a county with fewer than 3,000,000 inhabitants may apply to the Department for approval to conduct its operations from more than one location within the county under a single license. At the time of the application to operate under a single license, a hospital located in a county with fewer than 125,000 inhabitants may apply to the Department for approval to conduct its operations from more than one location within contiguous counties in which both facilities are located, provided that the second county has fewer than 35,000 inhabitants.

(b) The facilities or buildings at those locations must be owned or operated together by a single corporation or other legal entity serving as the licensee and must share:

(1) a single board of directors with responsibility for governance, including financial oversight and the authority to designate or remove the chief executive officer;

(2) a single medical staff accountable to the board of directors and governed by a single set of medical staff bylaws, rules, and regulations with responsibility for the quality of the medical services; and

(3) a single chief executive officer, accountable to the board of directors, with management responsibility.

(c) Each hospital building or facility that is located on a site geographically separate from the campus or premises of another hospital building or facility operated by the licensee must, at a minimum, individually comply with the Department's hospital licensing requirements for emergency services.

(d) The hospital shall submit to the Department a comprehensive plan in relation to the waiver or waivers requested describing the services and operations of each facility or building and how common services or operations will be coordinated between the various locations. With the exception of items required by subsection (c), the Department is authorized to waive compliance with the hospital licensing requirements for specific buildings or facilities, provided that the hospital has documented which other building or facility under its single license provides that service or operation, and that doing so would not endanger the public's health, safety, or welfare. Nothing in this Section relieves a hospital from the requirements of the Health Facilities Planning Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-887, eff. 5-17-22.)

(210 ILCS 85/4.6)

Sec. 4.6. Additional licensing requirements.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law or rule to the contrary, the Department may license as a hospital a building that (i) is owned or operated by a hospital licensed under this Act, (ii) is located in a municipality with a population of less than 60,000, and (iii) includes a postsurgical recovery care center licensed under the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act for a period of not less than 2 years, an ambulatory surgical treatment center licensed under the Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center Act, and a Freestanding Emergency Center licensed under the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act. Only the components of the building which are currently licensed shall be eligible under the provisions of this Section.

(b) Prior to issuing a license, the Department shall inspect the facility and require the facility to meet such of the Department's rules relating to the establishment of hospitals as the Department determines are appropriate to such facility. Once the Department approves the facility and issues a hospital license, all other licenses as listed in subsection (a) above shall be null and void.

(c) Only one license may be issued under the authority of this Section. No license may be issued after 18 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly.

(d) Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, each hospital building or facility that is (i) located on the campus of the licensee but on a site that is not contiguous, adjacent, or otherwise attached to the main hospital building of the campus of the licensee, (ii) operated by the licensee, and (iii) provides inpatient services to patients at this building or facility shall, at a minimum, individually comply with the Department's hospital licensing requirements for emergency services. The hospital shall submit to the Department a comprehensive plan describing the services and operations of each facility or building and how common services or operations will be coordinated between the various locations. The Department shall review the plan and may authorize a waiver granting an exemption for compliance with the hospital licensing requirements for specific buildings or facilities, including requirements for emergency services, provided that the hospital has documented which other building or facility under its single license provides that service or operation, and that doing so would not endanger the public's health, safety, or welfare. Nothing in this Section relieves a hospital from the requirements of the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-1515, eff. 2-4-11.)

(210 ILCS 85/4.7)

Sec. 4.7. Additional licensing requirements.

(a) A hospital located in a county with fewer than 325,000 inhabitants may apply to the Department for approval to conduct its operations from more than one location within the county under a single license at a separate building or facility already licensed as a hospital. The operations shall be limited to psychiatric services. The host hospital shall house the licensee. The licensee's application shall be supported by information that its operations at the host hospital will provide access to necessary services for the region that the host hospital does not provide. The services proposed by the licensee at the host hospital shall not consist of emergency services.

(b) The portion of the facilities or buildings operated by the licensee at the host hospital shall be leased in part and operated by a single corporation or other legal entity serving as the licensee and shall have a single:

(1) board of directors with the responsibility for governance, including financial oversight and authority to designate or remove the chief executive officer;

(2) medical staff accountable to the board of directors of the licensee and governed by a single set of medical staff bylaws and associated rules and regulation of the licensee, with responsibility for the quality of the medical services provided by the licensee at the host hospital side; and

(3) chief executive officer, accountable to the board of directors of the licensee, with management responsibility for the licensee's operations at the host hospital site.

The host hospital and licensee shall be jointly responsible for hospital licensing requirements relating to design and construction, engineering and maintenance of the physical plan, waste disposal, and fire safety.

(c) The licensee and host hospital shall notify the public and patients through general signage and written notification provided upon admission that services are provided at the host hospital site by 2 separately licensed hospitals. The signage shall specify which services are provided by the host hospital or the licensee or both.

(d) One emergency department shall serve the host hospital. Patients shall be notified that emergency services are provided by the host hospital. Those patients that require admission from the emergency department to a service that is operated by the licensee shall be admitted according to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act regulations and transferred to the licensee. The admission, registration, and consent form documents shall be specific to the licensee.

(e) The licensee and host hospital shall submit to the Department a comprehensive plan describing the services and operations of each facility or building and between the licensee and host hospital, and how common services or operations will be coordinated between the various locations. Nothing in this Section relieves a hospital from the requirements in the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-1505, eff. 1-27-11.)

(210 ILCS 85/5) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 146)

Sec. 5. (a) An application for a permit to establish a hospital shall be made to the Department upon forms provided by it. This application shall contain such information as the Department reasonably requires, which shall include affirmative evidence on which the Director may make the findings required under Section 6a of this Act.

(b) An application for a license to open, conduct, operate, and maintain a hospital shall be made to the Department upon forms provided by it, accompanied by a license fee of $55 per bed (except as otherwise provided in this subsection), or such lesser amount as the Department may establish by administrative rule in consultation with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to comply with the limitations on health care-related taxes imposed by 42 U.S.C. 1396b(w) that, if violated, would result in reductions to the amount of federal financial participation received by the State for Medicaid expenditures, and shall contain such information as the Department reasonably requires, which may include affirmative evidence of ability to comply with the provisions of this Act and the standards, rules, and regulations, promulgated by virtue thereof. The license fee for a critical access hospital, as defined in Section 5-5e.1 of the Illinois Public Aid Code, or a safety-net hospital, as defined in Section 5-5e of the Illinois Public Aid Code, shall be $0 per bed.

(c) All applications required under this Section shall be signed by the applicant and shall be verified. Applications on behalf of a corporation or association or a governmental unit or agency shall be made and verified by any two officers thereof.

(Source: P.A. 98-683, eff. 6-30-14.)

(210 ILCS 85/6) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 147)

Sec. 6. (a) Upon receipt of an application for a permit to establish a hospital the Director shall issue a permit if he finds (1) that the applicant is fit, willing, and able to provide a proper standard of hospital service for the community with particular regard to the qualification, background, and character of the applicant, (2) that the financial resources available to the applicant demonstrate an ability to construct, maintain, and operate a hospital in accordance with the standards, rules, and regulations adopted pursuant to this Act, and (3) that safeguards are provided which assure hospital operation and maintenance consistent with the public interest having particular regard to safe, adequate, and efficient hospital facilities and services.

The Director may request the cooperation of county and multiple-county health departments, municipal boards of health, and other governmental and non-governmental agencies in obtaining information and in conducting investigations relating to such applications.

A permit to establish a hospital shall be valid only for the premises and person named in the application for such permit and shall not be transferable or assignable.

In the event the Director issues a permit to establish a hospital the applicant shall thereafter submit plans and specifications to the Department in accordance with Section 8 of this Act.

(b) Upon receipt of an application for license to open, conduct, operate, and maintain a hospital, the Director shall issue a license if he finds the applicant and the hospital facilities comply with standards, rules, and regulations promulgated under this Act. A license, unless sooner suspended or revoked, shall be renewable annually upon approval by the Department and payment of a license fee as established pursuant to Section 5 of this Act. Each license shall be issued only for the premises and persons named in the application and shall not be transferable or assignable. Licenses shall be posted, either by physical or electronic means, in a conspicuous place on the licensed premises. The Department may, either before or after the issuance of a license, request the cooperation of the State Fire Marshal, county and multiple county health departments, or municipal boards of health to make investigations to determine if the applicant or licensee is complying with the minimum standards prescribed by the Department. The report and recommendations of any such agency shall be in writing and shall state with particularity its findings with respect to compliance or noncompliance with such minimum standards, rules, and regulations.

The Director may issue a provisional license to any hospital which does not substantially comply with the provisions of this Act and the standards, rules, and regulations promulgated by virtue thereof provided that he finds that such hospital has undertaken changes and corrections which upon completion will render the hospital in substantial compliance with the provisions of this Act, and the standards, rules, and regulations adopted hereunder, and provided that the health and safety of the patients of the hospital will be protected during the period for which such provisional license is issued. The Director shall advise the licensee of the conditions under which such provisional license is issued, including the manner in which the hospital facilities fail to comply with the provisions of the Act, standards, rules, and regulations, and the time within which the changes and corrections necessary for such hospital facilities to substantially comply with this Act, and the standards, rules, and regulations of the Department relating thereto shall be completed.

(Source: P.A. 102-4, eff. 4-27-21.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.01)

Sec. 6.01. Domestic violence. A hospital licensed under this Act must comply with the standards relating to domestic violence established by the Department. In establishing these standards, the Department shall take into consideration similar standards adopted by the Joint Commission on Health Care Accreditation or other accrediting organization. Nothing in this Section requires a hospital to become accredited by the Joint Commission on Health Care Accreditation or any other accreditation program.

(Source: P.A. 91-163, eff. 1-1-00.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.05) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 147.05)

Sec. 6.05. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 89-507, eff. 7-1-97. Repealed by P.A. 92-790, eff. 8-6-02.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.06) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 147.06)

Sec. 6.06. The Department shall prescribe, by regulation, standards for hospitals to meet in order to assure proper identification of newborn infants. Such regulations shall include but not be limited to standards that are consistent with procedures for the identification of newborn infants recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

(Source: P.A. 83-615.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.07) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 147.07)

Sec. 6.07. The Department shall by regulation require the availability and proper use of hypothermic thermometers or electronic thermometers capable of aiding in the diagnosis of hypothermia in adequate quantity in hospitals.

(Source: P.A. 84-313.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.08) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 147.08)

Sec. 6.08. (a) Every hospital shall provide notification as required in this Section to police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, private emergency medical services providers, and ambulance personnel who have provided or are about to provide transport services, emergency care, or life support services to a patient who has been diagnosed as having a dangerous communicable or infectious disease. Such notification shall not include the name of the patient, and the emergency services provider agency and any person receiving such notification shall treat the information received as a confidential medical record.

(b) The Department shall utilize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's list of potentially life-threatening infectious diseases to determine the diseases for which notification shall be provided.

(c) The hospital shall send the letter of notification no later than 48 hours after a confirmed diagnosis of any of the bloodborne communicable diseases listed by the Department pursuant to subsection (b). The hospital shall attempt to make verbal communication, followed by written notification only if the police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, private emergency medical services providers, or ambulance personnel have indicated both verbally and on the ambulance run sheet that a reasonable possibility exists that they have had blood or body fluid contact with the patient, or if hospital personnel providing the notification have reason to know of a possible exposure.

(c-5) The hospital shall send the letter of notification no later than 48 hours after a confirmed diagnosis of any of the airborne or droplet-transmitted communicable diseases listed by the Department pursuant to subsection (b) and the hospital shall attempt to make verbal communication, followed by written notification.

(d) Notification letters shall be sent to the designated officer at the municipal or private provider agencies listed on the ambulance run sheet. Except in municipalities with a population over 1,000,000, a list attached to the ambulance run sheet must contain all municipal and private provider agency personnel who have provided any pre-hospital care immediately prior to transport. In municipalities with a population over 1,000,000, the ambulance run sheet must contain the company number or unit designation number for any fire department personnel who have provided any pre-hospital care immediately prior to transport. The letter shall state the names of crew members listed on the attachment to the ambulance run sheet and the name of the communicable disease diagnosed, but shall not contain the patient's name. Upon receipt of such notification letter, the applicable private provider agency or the designated infectious disease control officer of a municipal fire department or fire protection district shall contact all personnel involved in the pre-hospital or inter-hospital care and transport of the patient. Such notification letter may, but is not required to, consist of the following form: NOTIFICATION LETTER (NAME OF HOSPITAL) (ADDRESS) TO:...... (Name of Organization)

FROM:.....(Infection Control Coordinator)

DATE:.....

As required by Section 6.08 of the Illinois Hospital Licensing Act, .....(name of hospital) is hereby providing notification that the following crew members or agencies transported or provided pre-hospital care to a patient on ..... (date), and the transported patient was later diagnosed as having .....(name of communicable disease): .....(list of crew members if known). The Hospital Licensing Act requires you to maintain this information as a confidential medical record. Disclosure of this information may therefore result in civil liability for the individual or company breaching the patient's confidentiality, or both.

If you have any questions regarding this patient, please contact me at .....(telephone number), between .....(hours). Questions regarding exposure or the financial aspects of obtaining medical care should be directed to your employer.

(e) Upon discharge of a patient with a communicable disease to emergency personnel, the hospital shall notify the emergency personnel of appropriate precautions against the communicable disease, but shall not identify the name of the disease.

(f) The hospital may, in its discretion, take any measures in addition to those required in this Section to notify police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and ambulance personnel of possible exposure to any communicable disease. However, in all cases this information shall be maintained as a confidential medical record.

(g) Any person providing or failing to provide notification under the protocol required by this Section shall have immunity from any liability, either criminal or civil, that might result by reason of such action or inaction, unless such action or inaction is willful.

(h) Any person who willfully fails to provide any notification required pursuant to an applicable protocol which has been adopted and approved pursuant to this Section commits a petty offense, and shall be subject to a fine of $200 for the first offense, and $500 for a second or subsequent offense.

(i) Nothing in this Section shall preclude a civil action by a firefighter, emergency medical technician, or ambulance crew member against an emergency services provider agency, municipal fire department, or fire protection district that fails to inform the member in a timely fashion of the receipt of a notification letter.

(Source: P.A. 98-851, eff. 8-1-14.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.09) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 147.09)

Sec. 6.09. (a) In order to facilitate the orderly transition of aged patients and patients with disabilities from hospitals to post-hospital care, whenever a patient who qualifies for the federal Medicare program is hospitalized, the patient shall be notified of discharge at least 24 hours prior to discharge from the hospital. With regard to pending discharges to a skilled nursing facility, the hospital must notify the case coordination unit, as defined in 89 Ill. Adm. Code 240.260, at least 24 hours prior to discharge. When the assessment is completed in the hospital, the case coordination unit shall provide a copy of the required assessment documentation directly to the nursing home to which the patient is being discharged prior to discharge. The Department on Aging shall provide notice of this requirement to case coordination units. When a case coordination unit is unable to complete an assessment in a hospital prior to the discharge of a patient, 60 years of age or older, to a nursing home, the case coordination unit shall notify the Department on Aging which shall notify the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. The Department on Aging shall adopt rules to address these instances to ensure that the patient is able to access nursing home care, the nursing home is not penalized for accepting the admission, and the patient's timely discharge from the hospital is not delayed, to the extent permitted under federal law or regulation. Nothing in this subsection shall preclude federal requirements for a pre-admission screening/mental health (PAS/MH) as required under Section 2-201.5 of the Nursing Home Care Act or State or federal law or regulation. If home health services are ordered, the hospital must inform its designated case coordination unit, as defined in 89 Ill. Adm. Code 240.260, of the pending discharge and must provide the patient with the case coordination unit's telephone number and other contact information.

(b) Every hospital shall develop procedures for a physician with medical staff privileges at the hospital or any appropriate medical staff member to provide the discharge notice prescribed in subsection (a) of this Section. The procedures must include prohibitions against discharging or referring a patient to any of the following if unlicensed, uncertified, or unregistered: (i) a board and care facility, as defined in the Board and Care Home Act; (ii) an assisted living and shared housing establishment, as defined in the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act; (iii) a facility licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act, the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013, the ID/DD Community Care Act, or the MC/DD Act; (iv) a supportive living facility, as defined in Section 5-5.01a of the Illinois Public Aid Code; or (v) a free-standing hospice facility licensed under the Hospice Program Licensing Act if licensure, certification, or registration is required. The Department of Public Health shall annually provide hospitals with a list of licensed, certified, or registered board and care facilities, assisted living and shared housing establishments, nursing homes, supportive living facilities, facilities licensed under the ID/DD Community Care Act, the MC/DD Act, or the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013, and hospice facilities. Reliance upon this list by a hospital shall satisfy compliance with this requirement. The procedure may also include a waiver for any case in which a discharge notice is not feasible due to a short length of stay in the hospital by the patient, or for any case in which the patient voluntarily desires to leave the hospital before the expiration of the 24 hour period.

(c) At least 24 hours prior to discharge from the hospital, the patient shall receive written information on the patient's right to appeal the discharge pursuant to the federal Medicare program, including the steps to follow to appeal the discharge and the appropriate telephone number to call in case the patient intends to appeal the discharge.

(d) Before transfer of a patient to a long term care facility licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act where elderly persons reside, a hospital shall as soon as practicable initiate a name-based criminal history background check by electronic submission to the Illinois State Police for all persons between the ages of 18 and 70 years; provided, however, that a hospital shall be required to initiate such a background check only with respect to patients who:

(1) are transferring to a long term care facility for the first time;

(2) have been in the hospital more than 5 days;

(3) are reasonably expected to remain at the long term care facility for more than 30 days;

(4) have a known history of serious mental illness or substance abuse; and

(5) are independently ambulatory or mobile for more than a temporary period of time.

A hospital may also request a criminal history background check for a patient who does not meet any of the criteria set forth in items (1) through (5).

A hospital shall notify a long term care facility if the hospital has initiated a criminal history background check on a patient being discharged to that facility. In all circumstances in which the hospital is required by this subsection to initiate the criminal history background check, the transfer to the long term care facility may proceed regardless of the availability of criminal history results. Upon receipt of the results, the hospital shall promptly forward the results to the appropriate long term care facility. If the results of the background check are inconclusive, the hospital shall have no additional duty or obligation to seek additional information from, or about, the patient.

(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21; 103-102, eff. 1-1-24.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.09a)

Sec. 6.09a. Report of death. Every hospital shall promptly report the death of a person readily known to be, without an investigation by the hospital, a resident of a facility licensed under the ID/DD Community Care Act or the MC/DD Act, to the coroner or medical examiner. The coroner or medical examiner shall promptly respond to the report by accepting or not accepting the body for investigation.

(Source: P.A. 99-180, eff. 7-29-15.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.09b)

Sec. 6.09b. Patient notice of observation status. Within 24 hours after a patient's placement into observation status by a hospital, the hospital shall provide that patient with an oral and written notice that the patient is not admitted to the hospital and is under observation status. The written notice shall be signed by the patient or the patient's legal representative to acknowledge receipt of the written notice and shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:

(1) a statement that observation status may affect coverage under the federal Medicare program, the medical assistance program under Article V of the Illinois Public Aid Code, or the patient's insurance policy for the current hospital services, including medications and other pharmaceutical supplies, as well as coverage for any subsequent discharge to a skilled nursing facility or for home and community based care; and

(2) a statement that the patient should contact his or her insurance provider to better understand the implications of being placed into observation status.

(Source: P.A. 99-383, eff. 8-17-15.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.10) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 147.10)

Sec. 6.10. The Department shall adopt rules requiring hospitals licensed under this Act to offer testing for infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to patients upon request. Such rules shall provide for appropriate pre-test and post-test counseling, and may provide for payment of the cost of testing the medically indigent in appropriate cases.

Tests requested or administered under such rules shall be subject to the provisions of the AIDS Confidentiality Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-764; 86-1028.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.11) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 147.11)

Sec. 6.11. In licensing any hospital which provides for the diagnosis, care or treatment for persons suffering from mental or emotional disorders or for persons with intellectual disabilities, the Department shall consult with the Department of Human Services in developing standards for and evaluating the psychiatric programs of such hospitals.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.12) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 147.12)

Sec. 6.12. The provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act are hereby expressly adopted and shall apply to all administrative rules and procedures of the Department of Public Health under this Act, except that Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act relating to procedures for rule-making does not apply to the adoption of any rule required by federal law in connection with which the Department is precluded by law from exercising any discretion.

(Source: P.A. 87-435; 88-45.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.13) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 147.13)

Sec. 6.13. Any hospital licensed under this Act may provide a program or service for the temporary custodial care of mildly ill children who, because of their illness, are unable to attend school or to participate in their normal day care program. The Department shall develop minimum standards, rules and regulations to govern the operation of a sick child day program which is operated by a hospital and located on the hospital's licensed premises. Any such standards, rules and regulations shall provide that:

(a) a sick child day program may be located anywhere on the hospital's licensed premises, including patient care units, when the following conditions are met:

(1) Children in the sick child day program shall not simultaneously occupy the same room as a hospital patient; and

(2) Children in the sick child day program who are recovering from non-contagious conditions shall be cared for in a room separate from children registered in the program who have contagious conditions.

(b) children registered in a sick child day program are not considered to be hospital patients, and are not required to be under the professional care of a member of the hospital's medical staff except in those cases where emergency medical treatment is needed during the time the child is on the program premises; and

(c) medication may be administered to a child in a sick child program when the following conditions are met:

(1) Prescription medications shall be labeled with the child's name, directions for administering the medication, the date, the physician's name, the prescription number, and the dispensing drug store or pharmacy. Only current prescription medications will be administered by the program. Nothing in this paragraph (1) shall be construed to prohibit program staff from administering medication prescribed by any licensed professional who is permitted by law to do so, whether or not the professional is a member of the hospital's medical staff.

(2) Written parental permission shall be obtained before non-prescription medication is administered. Such medication shall be administered in accordance with package instructions.

(Source: P.A. 86-1461; 87-435.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.14) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 147.14)

Sec. 6.14. Resident and intern duty hour requirements. Hospitals licensed under this Act shall comply with the duty hour requirements for residents and interns established by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

(Source: P.A. 87-947.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.14a)

Sec. 6.14a. Public disclosure of information. The following information is subject to disclosure to the public from the Department:

(1) Information submitted under Section 5 of this Act;

(2) Final records of license and certification inspections, surveys, and evaluations of hospitals; and

(3) Investigated complaints filed against a hospital and complaint investigation reports, except that a complaint or complaint investigation report shall not be disclosed to a person other than the complainant or complainant's representative before it is disclosed to a hospital, and except that a complainant or patient's name shall not be disclosed.

The Department shall disclose information under this Section in accordance with provisions for inspection and copying of public records required by the Freedom of Information Act.

However, the disclosure of information described in subsection (1) shall not be restricted by any provision of the Freedom of Information Act.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, under no circumstances shall the Department disclose information obtained from a hospital that is confidential under Part 21 of Article VIII of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Any records or reports of inspections, surveys, or evaluations of hospitals may be disclosed only after the acceptance of a plan of correction by the Health Care Financing Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or the Department, as appropriate, or at the conclusion of any administrative review of the Department's decision, or at the conclusion of any judicial review of such administrative decision. Whenever any record or report is subject to disclosure under this Section, the Department shall permit the hospital to provide a written statement pertaining to such report which shall be included as part of the information to be disclosed. The Department shall not divulge or disclose any record or report in a manner that identifies or would permit the identification of any natural person.

(Source: P.A. 98-463, eff. 8-16-13.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.14b)

Sec. 6.14b. Confidentiality of patient records.

(a) The Department shall respect the confidentiality of a patient's record and shall not divulge or disclose the contents of a record in a manner which identifies a patient, except upon a patient's death to a relative or guardian, as permitted by law, or under judicial proceedings. This Section shall not be construed to limit the right of a patient to inspect or copy his or her records.

(b) Confidential medical, social, personal, or financial information identifying a patient shall not be available for public inspection in a manner which identifies a patient.

(Source: P.A. 91-242, eff. 1-1-00.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.14c)

Sec. 6.14c. Posting of information. Every hospital shall conspicuously post, either by physical or electronic means, for display in an area of its offices accessible to patients, employees, and visitors the following:

(1) its current license;

(2) a description, provided by the Department, of complaint procedures established under this Act and the name, address, and telephone number of a person authorized by the Department to receive complaints;

(3) a list of any orders pertaining to the hospital issued by the Department during the past year and any court orders reviewing such Department orders issued during the past year; and

(4) a list of the material available for public inspection under Section 6.14d.

Each hospital shall post, either by physical or electronic means, in each facility that has an emergency room, a notice in a conspicuous location in the emergency room with information about how to enroll in health insurance through the Illinois health insurance marketplace in accordance with Sections 1311 and 1321 of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

(Source: P.A. 101-117, eff. 1-1-20; 102-4, eff. 4-27-21.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.14d)

Sec. 6.14d. Materials available for public inspection. A hospital shall retain for 5 years the following for public inspection:

(1) a complete copy of every final inspection report of the hospital received from the Department; and

(2) a copy of every final order pertaining to the hospital issued by the Department during the past 5 years and any court orders reviewing such Department orders.

(Source: P.A. 91-242, eff. 1-1-00.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.14e)

Sec. 6.14e. Storage and transfer of patient records. If a facility closes due to insolvency or for any other reason, the facility must notify the Department where the patient records are stored or transferred.

(Source: P.A. 93-322, eff. 1-1-04.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.14f)

Sec. 6.14f. Reports to the trauma registry; certain accidents involving persons under the age of 18 years. A trauma center that treats any person under the age of 18 years for injuries suffered in an accident involving a motor vehicle backing over a child or the power window of a motor vehicle must report the accident to the trauma registry.

(Source: P.A. 94-671, eff. 8-23-05.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.14g)

Sec. 6.14g. Reports to the Department; opioid overdoses.

(a) As used in this Section:

"Overdose" has the same meaning as provided in Section 414 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act.

"Health care professional" includes a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, a physician assistant, or an advanced practice registered nurse licensed in the State.

(b) When treatment is provided in a hospital's emergency department, a health care professional who treats a drug overdose or hospital administrator or designee shall report the case to the Department of Public Health within 48 hours of providing treatment for the drug overdose or at such time the drug overdose is confirmed. The Department shall by rule create a form for this purpose which requires the following information, if known: (1) whether an opioid antagonist was administered; (2) the cause of the overdose; and (3) the demographic information of the person treated. The Department shall create the form with input from the statewide association representing a majority of hospitals in Illinois. The person completing the form may not disclose the name, address, or any other personal information of the individual experiencing the overdose.

(c) The identity of the person and entity reporting under this subsection shall not be disclosed to the subject of the report. For the purposes of this subsection, the health care professional, hospital administrator, or designee making the report and his or her employer shall not be held criminally, civilly, or professionally liable for reporting under this subsection, except for willful or wanton misconduct.

(d) The Department shall provide a semiannual report to the General Assembly summarizing the reports received. The Department shall also provide on its website a monthly report of drug overdose figures. The figures shall be organized by the overdose location, the age of the victim, the cause of the overdose, and any other factors the Department deems appropriate.

(Source: P.A. 99-480, eff. 9-9-15; 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.15)

Sec. 6.15. Abduction of infant patient. Every hospital, as a condition of licensure under this Act, shall demonstrate to the Department that the hospital has adopted the following procedures:

(1) Procedures designed to reduce the likelihood that an infant patient will be abducted from the hospital. The procedures may include, but need not be limited to, architectural plans to control access to infant care areas, video camera observation of infant care areas, and procedures for identifying hospital staff and visitors.

(2) Procedures designed to aid in identifying allegedly abducted infants who are recovered. The procedures may include, but need not be limited to, footprinting infants by staff who have been trained in that procedure, photographing infants, and obtaining and retaining blood samples for genetic testing.

(Source: P.A. 88-689, eff. 1-1-96.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.16)

Sec. 6.16. Agreement with designated organ procurement agency. Each hospital licensed under this Act shall have an agreement with its federally designated organ procurement agency providing for notification of the organ procurement agency when potential organ donors become available, as required in Section 5-25 of the Illinois Anatomical Gift Act.

(Source: P.A. 93-794, eff. 7-22-04.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.17)

Sec. 6.17. Protection of and confidential access to medical records and information.

(a) Every hospital licensed under this Act shall develop a medical record for each of its patients as required by the Department by rule.

(b) All information regarding a hospital patient gathered by the hospital's medical staff and its agents and employees shall be the property and responsibility of the hospital and must be protected from inappropriate disclosure as provided in this Section.

(c) Every hospital shall preserve its medical records in a format and for a duration established by hospital policy and for not less than 10 years, provided that if the hospital has been notified in writing by an attorney before the expiration of the 10 year retention period that there is litigation pending in court involving the record of a particular patient as possible evidence and that the patient is his client or is the person who has instituted such litigation against his client, then the hospital shall retain the record of that patient until notified in writing by the plaintiff's attorney, with the approval of the defendant's attorney of record, that the case in court involving such record has been concluded or for a period of 12 years from the date that the record was produced, whichever occurs first in time.

(d) No member of a hospital's medical staff and no agent or employee of a hospital shall disclose the nature or details of services provided to patients, except that the information may be disclosed to the patient, persons authorized by the patient, the party making treatment decisions, if the patient is incapable of making decisions regarding the health services provided, those parties directly involved with providing treatment to the patient or processing the payment for that treatment, those parties responsible for peer review, utilization review or quality assurance, risk management, or defense of claims brought against the hospital arising out of the care, and those parties required to be notified under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, the Illinois Sexually Transmitted Infection Control Act, or where otherwise authorized or required by law.

(e) The hospital's medical staff members and the hospital's agents and employees may communicate, at any time and in any fashion, with legal counsel for the hospital concerning the patient medical record privacy and retention requirements of this Section and any care or treatment they provided or assisted in providing to any patient within the scope of their employment or affiliation with the hospital.

(e-5) Notwithstanding subsections (d) and (e), for actions filed on or after January 1, 2004, after a complaint for healing art malpractice is served upon the hospital or upon its agents or employees, members of the hospital's medical staff who are not actual or alleged agents, employees, or apparent agents of the hospital may not communicate with legal counsel for the hospital or with risk management of the hospital concerning the claim alleged in the complaint for healing art malpractice against the hospital except with the patient's consent or in discovery authorized by the Code of Civil Procedure or the Supreme Court rules. For the purposes of this subsection (e-5), "hospital" includes a hospital affiliate as defined in subsection (b) of Section 10.8 of this Act.

(f) Each hospital licensed under this Act shall provide its federally designated organ procurement agency and any tissue bank with which it has an agreement with access to the medical records of deceased patients for the following purposes:

(1) estimating the hospital's organ and tissue donation potential;

(2) identifying the educational needs of the hospital with respect to organ and tissue donation; and

(3) identifying the number of organ and tissue donations and referrals to potential organ and tissue donors.

(g) All hospital and patient information, interviews, reports, statements, memoranda, and other data obtained or created by a tissue bank or federally designated organ procurement agency from the medical records review described in subsection (f) shall be privileged, strictly confidential, and used only for the purposes put forth in subsection (f) of this Section and shall not be admissible as evidence nor discoverable in an action of any kind in court or before a tribunal, board, agency, or person.

(h) Any person who, in good faith, acts in accordance with the terms of this Section shall not be subject to any type of civil or criminal liability or discipline for unprofessional conduct for those actions under any professional licensing statute.

(i) Any individual who wilfully or wantonly discloses hospital or medical record information in violation of this Section is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. As used in this subsection, "wilfully or wantonly" means a course of action that shows an actual or deliberate intention to cause harm or that, if not intentional, shows an utter indifference to or conscious disregard for the safety of others or their property.

(j) The changes to this Section made by this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly apply to any action filed on or after January 1, 2004.

(Source: P.A. 103-1049, eff. 8-9-24.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.18)

Sec. 6.18. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 90-710, eff. 8-7-98. Repealed by P.A. 92-790, eff. 8-6-02.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.19)

Sec. 6.19. Do-not-resuscitate orders and Department of Public Health Uniform POLST form. Every facility licensed under this Act shall establish a policy for the implementation of practitioner orders concerning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or life-sustaining treatment including, but not limited to, "do-not-resuscitate" orders. This policy may prescribe only the format, method of documentation, and duration of any practitioner orders. The policy may include forms to be used. Any orders issued under the policy shall be honored by the facility. The Department of Public Health Uniform POLST form described in Section 2310-600 of the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, or a copy of that form or a previous version of the uniform form, shall be honored under any policy established under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 98-1110, eff. 8-26-14; 99-319, eff. 1-1-16.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.20)

Sec. 6.20. Use of restraints. Each hospital licensed under this Act must have a written policy to address the use of restraints and seclusion in the hospital. The Department shall establish, by rule, the provisions that the policy must include, which, to the extent practicable, should be consistent with the requirements for participation in the federal Medicare program. Each hospital policy shall include periodic review of the use of restraints or seclusion in the hospital.

In hospitals, restraints or seclusion may only be ordered by (i) a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches or (ii) a registered nurse with supervisory responsibilities as authorized by the medical staff. The medical staff of a hospital may adopt a policy specifying the requirements for the use of restraints or seclusion and identifying whether a registered nurse with supervisory responsibilities may order restraints or seclusion in the hospital when the patient's treating physician is not available.

Registered nurses authorized to order restraints or seclusion shall have appropriate training and experience as determined by medical staff policy. The treating physician shall be notified when restraints or seclusion are ordered by a registered nurse. Nothing in this Section requires that a medical staff authorize a registered nurse with supervisory responsibilities to order restraints or seclusion.

(Source: P.A. 92-356, eff. 10-1-01.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.21)

Sec. 6.21. Umbilical cord blood donation.

(a) All licensed hospitals shall offer a pregnant patient the option to donate, to a publicly accessible certified cord blood bank, blood extracted from the umbilical cord following the delivery of a newborn child if the donation can be made at no expense to the patient or hospital for collection or storage.

(b) Nothing in this Section obligates a hospital to collect umbilical cord blood if, in the professional judgment of a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches or a nurse, the collection would threaten the health of the mother or child.

(c) Nothing in this Section imposes a requirement upon any hospital employee, physician, nurse, or hospital that is directly affiliated with a bona fide religious denomination that includes as an integral part of its beliefs and practices the tenet that blood transfer is contrary to the moral principles the denomination considers to be an essential part of its beliefs.

(d) Subject to appropriations for that purpose, the Department of Public Health shall make the maximization of umbilical cord blood donations a public health goal. All licensed hospitals and birthing centers shall cooperate with the Department of Public Health in implementing this goal of increasing donations of umbilical cord blood.

(Source: P.A. 93-143, eff. 1-1-04; 94-832, eff. 6-5-06.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.22)

Sec. 6.22. Arrangement for transportation of patient by an ambulance service provider.

(a) In this Section:

"Ambulance service provider" means a Vehicle Service Provider as defined in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act who provides non-emergency transportation services by ambulance.

"Patient" means a person who is transported by an ambulance service provider.

(b) If a hospital arranges for medi-car, service car, or ground ambulance transportation of a patient of the hospital, the hospital must provide the ambulance service provider, at or prior to transport, a Physician Certification Statement formatted and completed in compliance with federal regulations or an equivalent form developed by the hospital. Each hospital shall develop a policy requiring a physician or the physician's designee to complete the Physician Certification Statement. The Physician Certification Statement shall be maintained as part of the patient's medical record. A hospital shall, upon request, furnish assistance to the ambulance service provider in the completion of the form if the Physician Certification Statement is incomplete. The Physician Certification Statement or equivalent form is not required prior to transport if a delay in transport can be expected to negatively affect the patient outcome; however, a hospital shall provide a copy of the Physician Certification Statement to the ambulance service provider at no charge within 10 days after the request.

(c) If a hospital is unable to provide a Physician Certification Statement or equivalent form, then the hospital shall provide to the patient a written notice and a verbal explanation of the written notice, which notice must meet all of the following requirements:

(1) The following caption must appear at the beginning of the notice in at least 14-point type: Notice to Patient Regarding Non-Emergency Ambulance Services.

(2) The notice must contain each of the following statements in at least 14-point type:

(A) The purpose of this notice is to help you make an informed choice about whether you want to be transported by ambulance because your medical condition does not meet medical necessity for transportation by an ambulance.

(B) Your insurance may not cover the charges for ambulance transportation.

(C) You may be responsible for the cost of ambulance transportation.

(D) The estimated cost of ambulance transportation is $(amount).

(3) The notice must be signed by the patient or by the patient's authorized representative. A copy shall be given to the patient and the hospital shall retain a copy.

(d) The notice set forth in subsection (c) of this Section shall not be required if a delay in transport can be expected to negatively affect the patient outcome.

(e) If a patient is physically or mentally unable to sign the notice described in subsection (c) of this Section and no authorized representative of the patient is available to sign the notice on the patient's behalf, the hospital must be able to provide documentation of the patient's inability to sign the notice and the unavailability of an authorized representative. In any case described in this subsection (e), the hospital shall be considered to have met the requirements of subsection (c) of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 100-646, eff. 7-27-18.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.23)

Sec. 6.23. Prevention and control of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms. Each hospital shall develop and implement comprehensive interventions to prevent and control multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and certain gram-negative bacilli (GNB), that take into consideration guidelines of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the management of MDROs in healthcare settings. The Department shall adopt administrative rules that require hospitals to perform an annual facility-wide infection control risk assessment and enforce hand hygiene and contact precaution requirements.

(Source: P.A. 95-282, eff. 8-20-07; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.23a)

Sec. 6.23a. Sepsis screening protocols.

(a) Each hospital shall adopt, implement, and periodically update evidence-based protocols for the early recognition and treatment of patients with sepsis, severe sepsis, or septic shock (sepsis protocols) that are based on generally accepted standards of care. Sepsis protocols must include components specific to the identification, care, and treatment of adults and of children, and must clearly identify where and when components will differ for adults and for children seeking treatment in the emergency department or as an inpatient. These protocols must also include the following components:

(1) a process for the screening and early recognition of patients with sepsis, severe sepsis, or septic shock;

(2) a process to identify and document individuals appropriate for treatment through sepsis protocols, including explicit criteria defining those patients who should be excluded from the protocols, such as patients with certain clinical conditions or who have elected palliative care;

(3) guidelines for hemodynamic support with explicit physiologic and treatment goals, methodology for invasive or non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring, and timeframe goals;

(4) for infants and children, guidelines for fluid resuscitation consistent with current, evidence-based guidelines for severe sepsis and septic shock with defined therapeutic goals for children;

(5) identification of the infectious source and delivery of early broad spectrum antibiotics with timely re-evaluation to adjust to narrow spectrum antibiotics targeted to identified infectious sources; and

(6) criteria for use, based on accepted evidence of vasoactive agents.

(b) Each hospital shall ensure that professional staff with direct patient care responsibilities and, as appropriate, staff with indirect patient care responsibilities, including, but not limited to, laboratory and pharmacy staff, are periodically trained to implement the sepsis protocols required under subsection (a). The hospital shall ensure updated training of staff if the hospital initiates substantive changes to the sepsis protocols.

(c) Each hospital shall be responsible for the collection and utilization of quality measures related to the recognition and treatment of severe sepsis for purposes of internal quality improvement.

(d) The evidence-based protocols adopted under this Section shall be provided to the Department upon the Department's request.

(e) Hospitals submitting sepsis data as required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting program as of fiscal year 2016 are presumed to meet the sepsis protocol requirements outlined in this Section.

(f) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall:

(1) recommend evidence-based sepsis definitions and metrics that incorporate evidence-based findings, including appropriate antibiotic stewardship, and that align with the National Quality Forum, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Joint Commission;

(2) establish and use a methodology for collecting, analyzing, and disclosing the information collected under this Section, including collection methods, formatting, and methods and means for aggregate data release and dissemination;

(3) complete a digest of efforts and recommendations no later than 12 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly; the digest may include Illinois-specific data, trends, conditions, or other clinical factors; a summary shall be provided to the Governor and General Assembly and shall be publicly available on the Department's website; and

(4) consult and seek input and feedback prior to the proposal, publication, or issuance of any guidance, methodologies, metrics, rulemaking, or any other information authorized under this Section from statewide organizations representing hospitals, physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, pharmacists, and long-term care facilities. Public and private hospitals, epidemiologists, infection prevention professionals, health care informatics and health care data professionals, and academic researchers may be consulted.

If the Department receives an appropriation and carries out the requirements of paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4), then the Department may adopt rules concerning the collection of data from hospitals regarding sepsis and requiring that each hospital shall be responsible for reporting to the Department.

Any publicly released hospital-specific information under this Section is subject to data provisions specified in Section 25 of the Hospital Report Card Act.

(Source: P.A. 99-828, eff. 8-18-16; 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.24)

Sec. 6.24. Time of death; patient's religious beliefs. Every hospital must adopt policies and procedures to allow health care professionals, in documenting a patient's time of death at the hospital, to take into account the patient's religious beliefs concerning the patient's time of death.

(Source: P.A. 95-181, eff. 1-1-08; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.25)

Sec. 6.25. Safe patient handling policy.

(a) In this Section:

"Health care worker" means an individual providing direct patient care services who may be required to lift, transfer, reposition, or move a patient.

"Nurse" means an advanced practice registered nurse, a registered nurse, or a licensed practical nurse licensed under the Nurse Practice Act.

"Safe lifting equipment and accessories" means mechanical equipment designed to lift, move, reposition, and transfer patients, including, but not limited to, fixed and portable ceiling lifts, sit-to-stand lifts, slide sheets and boards, slings, and repositioning and turning sheets.

"Safe lifting team" means at least 2 individuals who are trained in the use of both safe lifting techniques and safe lifting equipment and accessories, including the responsibility for knowing the location and condition of such equipment and accessories.

(b) A hospital must adopt and ensure implementation of a policy to identify, assess, and develop strategies to control risk of injury to patients and nurses and other health care workers associated with the lifting, transferring, repositioning, or movement of a patient. The policy shall establish a process that, at a minimum, includes all of the following:

(1) Analysis of the risk of injury to patients and nurses and other health care workers posted by the patient handling needs of the patient populations served by the hospital and the physical environment in which the patient handling and movement occurs.

(2) Education and training of nurses and other direct patient care providers in the identification, assessment, and control of risks of injury to patients and nurses and other health care workers during patient handling and on safe lifting policies and techniques and current lifting equipment.

(3) Evaluation of alternative ways to reduce risks associated with patient handling, including evaluation of equipment and the environment.

(4) Restriction, to the extent feasible with existing equipment and aids, of manual patient handling or movement of all or most of a patient's weight except for emergency, life-threatening, or otherwise exceptional circumstances.

(5) Collaboration with and an annual report to the nurse staffing committee.

(6) Procedures for a nurse to refuse to perform or be involved in patient handling or movement that the nurse in good faith believes will expose a patient or nurse or other health care worker to an unacceptable risk of injury.

(7) Submission of an annual report to the hospital's governing body or quality assurance committee on activities related to the identification, assessment, and development of strategies to control risk of injury to patients and nurses and other health care workers associated with the lifting, transferring, repositioning, or movement of a patient.

(8) In developing architectural plans for construction or remodeling of a hospital or unit of a hospital in which patient handling and movement occurs, consideration of the feasibility of incorporating patient handling equipment or the physical space and construction design needed to incorporate that equipment.

(9) Fostering and maintaining patient safety, dignity, self-determination, and choice, including the following policies, strategies, and procedures:

(A) the existence and availability of a trained safe lifting team;

(B) a policy of advising patients of a range of transfer and lift options, including adjustable diagnostic and treatment equipment, mechanical lifts, and provision of a trained safe lifting team;

(C) the right of a competent patient, or guardian of a patient adjudicated incompetent, to choose among the range of transfer and lift options, subject to the provisions of subparagraph (E) of this paragraph (9);

(D) procedures for documenting, upon admission and as status changes, a mobility assessment and plan for lifting, transferring, repositioning, or movement of a patient, including the choice of the patient or patient's guardian among the range of transfer and lift options; and

(E) incorporation of such safe lifting procedures, techniques, and equipment as are consistent with applicable federal law.

(Source: P.A. 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.26)

Sec. 6.26. Immunization against influenza virus and pneumococcal disease.

(a) Every hospital shall adopt an influenza and pneumococcal immunization policy that includes, but need not be limited to, the following:

(1) Procedures for identifying patients age 50 or older for influenza immunization and 65 or older for pneumococcal immunization and, at the discretion of the facility, other patients at risk.

(2) Procedures for offering immunization against influenza virus when available between September 1 and April 1, and against pneumococcal disease upon admission or discharge, to patients in accordance with the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that are most recent to the time of vaccination, unless contraindicated.

(3) Procedures for ensuring that patients offered immunization, or their guardians, receive information regarding the risks and benefits of vaccination.

The hospital shall provide a copy of its influenza and pneumococcal immunization policy to the Department upon request.

(b) A home rule unit may not regulate immunization against influenza virus and pneumococcal disease in a manner inconsistent with the regulation of such immunizations under this Section. This subsection is a limitation under subsection (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the concurrent exercise by home rule units of powers and functions exercised by the State.

(Source: P.A. 103-57, eff. 1-1-24.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.27)

Sec. 6.27. Intended parent; delivery room.

(a) As used in this Section, "gestational surrogate", "gestational surrogacy contract", and "intended parent" have the meanings given to those terms in Section 10 of the Gestational Surrogacy Act.

(b) If a hospital has a gestational surrogacy contract on file for a gestational surrogate or has otherwise received the gestational surrogacy contract from a gestational surrogate, the hospital may not deny an intended parent entry into the delivery room where the gestational surrogate is being induced or in labor, except as provided under subsection (c).

(c) A hospital is not required to allow entry into the delivery room to an intended parent if: (1) medical personnel determine that the gestational surrogate's life or health could be jeopardized if an intended parent is present; (2) the gestational surrogacy contract prohibits an intended parent from being present; or (3) medical personnel determine there is other good cause to prohibit an intended parent from being present, including, but not limited to, if the intended parent is causing a disturbance or other security concerns.

(Source: P.A. 101-286, eff. 8-9-19.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.28)

Sec. 6.28. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 102-813, eff. 5-13-22. Repealed internally, eff. 12-31-22.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.29)

Sec. 6.29. Testing for Legionella bacteria. A hospital shall develop a policy for testing its water supply for Legionella bacteria. The policy shall include the frequency with which testing is conducted. The policy and the results of any tests shall be made available to the Department upon request.

(Source: P.A. 102-4, eff. 4-27-21.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.30)

Sec. 6.30. Facility-provided medication upon discharge.

(a) The General Assembly finds that this Section is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety.

(b) In this Section, "facility-provided medication" has the same meaning as provided under Section 15.10 of the Pharmacy Practice Act.

(c) When a facility-provided medication is ordered at least 24 hours in advance for surgical procedures and is administered to a patient at a hospital licensed under this Act, any unused portion of the facility-provided medication must be offered to the patient upon discharge when it is required for continuing treatment.

(d) A facility-provided medication shall be labeled consistent with labeling requirements under Section 22 of the Pharmacy Practice Act.

(e) If the facility-provided medication is used in an operating room or emergency department setting, the prescriber is responsible for counseling the patient on its proper use and administration and the requirement of pharmacist counseling is waived.

(Source: P.A. 102-155, eff. 7-23-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.31)

Sec. 6.31. Patient contact policy during pandemics or other public health emergencies. During a pandemic or other public health emergency, a hospital licensed under this Act shall develop and implement a contact policy to encourage patients' ability to engage with family members throughout the duration of the pandemic or other public health emergency, including through the use of phone calls, videos calls, or other electronic mechanisms.

(Source: P.A. 102-398, eff. 8-16-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.32)

Sec. 6.32. Surgical smoke plume evacuation.

(a) In this Section:

"Surgical smoke plume" means the by-product of the use of energy-based devices on tissue during surgery and containing hazardous materials, including, but not limited to, bioaerosols, smoke, gases, tissue and cellular fragments and particulates, and viruses.

"Surgical smoke plume evacuation system" means a dedicated device that is designed to capture, transport, and filter surgical smoke plume at the site of origin and before it can diffuse and pose a risk to the occupants of the operating or treatment room.

(b) To protect patients and health care workers from the hazards of surgical smoke plume, a hospital licensed under this Act shall adopt policies to ensure the elimination of surgical smoke plume by use of a surgical smoke plume evacuation system for each procedure that generates surgical smoke plume from the use of energy-based devices, including, but not limited to, electrosurgery and lasers.

(c) A hospital licensed under this Act shall report to the Department within 90 days after January 1, 2022 (the effective date of Public Act 102-533) that policies under subsection (b) of this Section have been adopted.

(Source: P.A. 102-533, eff. 1-1-22; 102-750, eff. 5-6-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.33)

Sec. 6.33. Hospital employee assistance programs. A hospital licensed under this Act shall ensure that employees of the hospital are made aware of employee assistance programs or other like programs available for the physical and mental well-being of the employees. Hospitals shall provide information on these programs, no less than at the time of employment and during any benefit open enrollment period. A hospital may provide this information to employees electronically.

(Source: P.A. 102-1007, eff. 1-1-23.)

(210 ILCS 85/6.34)

Sec. 6.34. Emergency room treatment; delay of treatment prohibition. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a hospital licensed under this Act, in accordance with Section 1395dd(a) and 1395dd(b) of the Social Security Act, shall not delay provisions of a required appropriate medical screening examination or further medical examination and treatment for a patient in a hospital's emergency room in order to inquire about the individual's method of payment or insurance status.

(Source: P.A. 103-213, eff. 1-1-24.)

(210 ILCS 85/7) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 148)

Sec. 7. (a) The Director after notice and opportunity for hearing to the applicant or licensee may deny, suspend, or revoke a permit to establish a hospital or deny, suspend, or revoke a license to open, conduct, operate, and maintain a hospital in any case in which he finds that there has been a substantial failure to comply with the provisions of this Act, the Hospital Report Card Act, or the Illinois Adverse Health Care Events Reporting Law of 2005 or the standards, rules, and regulations established by virtue of any of those Acts. The Department may impose fines on hospitals, not to exceed $500 per occurrence, for failing to (1) initiate a criminal background check on a patient that meets the criteria for hospital-initiated background checks or (2) report the death of a person known to be a resident of a facility licensed under the ID/DD Community Care Act or the MC/DD Act to the coroner or medical examiner within 24 hours as required by Section 6.09a of this Act. In assessing whether to impose such a fine for failure to initiate a criminal background check, the Department shall consider various factors including, but not limited to, whether the hospital has engaged in a pattern or practice of failing to initiate criminal background checks. Money from fines shall be deposited into the Long Term Care Provider Fund.

(a-5) If a hospital demonstrates a pattern or practice of failing to substantially comply with the requirements of Section 10.10 or the hospital's written staffing plan, the hospital shall provide a plan of correction to the Department within 60 days. The Department may impose fines as follows: (i) if a hospital fails to implement a written staffing plan for nursing services, a fine not to exceed $500 per occurrence may be imposed; (ii) if a hospital demonstrates a pattern or practice of failing to substantially comply with a plan of correction within 60 days after the plan takes effect, a fine not to exceed $500 per occurrence may be imposed; and (iii) if a hospital demonstrates for a second or subsequent time a pattern or practice of failing to substantially comply with a plan of correction within 60 days after the plan takes effect, a fine not to exceed $1,000 per occurrence may be imposed. Reports of violations of Section 10.10 shall be subject to public disclosure under Section 6.14a. Money from fines within this subsection (a-5) shall be deposited into the Hospital Licensure Fund, and money from fines for violations of Section 10.10 shall be used for scholarships under the Nursing Education Scholarship Law.

(b) Such notice shall be effected by registered mail or by personal service setting forth the particular reasons for the proposed action and fixing a date, not less than 15 days from the date of such mailing or service, at which time the applicant or licensee shall be given an opportunity for a hearing. Such hearing shall be conducted by the Director or by an employee of the Department designated in writing by the Director as Hearing Officer to conduct the hearing. On the basis of any such hearing, or upon default of the applicant or licensee, the Director shall make a determination specifying his findings and conclusions. In case of a denial to an applicant of a permit to establish a hospital, such determination shall specify the subsection of Section 6 under which the permit was denied and shall contain findings of fact forming the basis of such denial. A copy of such determination shall be sent by registered mail or served personally upon the applicant or licensee. The decision denying, suspending, or revoking a permit or a license shall become final 35 days after it is so mailed or served, unless the applicant or licensee, within such 35 day period, petitions for review pursuant to Section 13.

(c) The procedure governing hearings authorized by this Section shall be in accordance with rules promulgated by the Department and approved by the Hospital Licensing Board. A full and complete record shall be kept of all proceedings, including the notice of hearing, complaint, and all other documents in the nature of pleadings, written motions filed in the proceedings, and the report and orders of the Director and Hearing Officer. All testimony shall be reported but need not be transcribed unless the decision is appealed pursuant to Section 13. A copy or copies of the transcript may be obtained by any interested party on payment of the cost of preparing such copy or copies.

(d) The Director or Hearing Officer shall upon his own motion, or on the written request of any party to the proceeding, issue subpoenas requiring the attendance and the giving of testimony by witnesses, and subpoenas duces tecum requiring the production of books, papers, records, or memoranda. All subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum issued under the terms of this Act may be served by any person of full age. The fees of witnesses for attendance and travel shall be the same as the fees of witnesses before the Circuit Court of this State, such fees to be paid when the witness is excused from further attendance. When the witness is subpoenaed at the instance of the Director, or Hearing Officer, such fees shall be paid in the same manner as other expenses of the Department, and when the witness is subpoenaed at the instance of any other party to any such proceeding the Department may require that the cost of service of the subpoena or subpoena duces tecum and the fee of the witness be borne by the party at whose instance the witness is summoned. In such case, the Department in its discretion, may require a deposit to cover the cost of such service and witness fees. A subpoena or subpoena duces tecum issued as aforesaid shall be served in the same manner as a subpoena issued out of a court.

(e) Any Circuit Court of this State upon the application of the Director, or upon the application of any other party to the proceeding, may, in its discretion, compel the attendance of witnesses, the production of books, papers, records, or memoranda and the giving of testimony before the Director or Hearing Officer conducting an investigation or holding a hearing authorized by this Act, by an attachment for contempt, or otherwise, in the same manner as production of evidence may be compelled before the court.

(f) The Director or Hearing Officer, or any party in an investigation or hearing before the Department, may cause the depositions of witnesses within the State to be taken in the manner prescribed by law for like depositions in civil actions in courts of this State, and to that end compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers, records, or memoranda.

(Source: P.A. 102-641, eff. 8-27-21.)

(210 ILCS 85/7.5)

Sec. 7.5. Fire Safety Evaluation System. Upon request by a hospital, the Department, if applicable, must evaluate or allow for an evaluation of compliance with the Life Safety Code using the Fire Safety Evaluation System.

(Source: P.A. 92-803, eff. 8-16-02.)

(210 ILCS 85/8) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 149)

Sec. 8. Facility plan review; fees.

(a) Before commencing construction of new facilities or specified types of alteration or additions to an existing hospital involving major construction, as defined by rule by the Department, with an estimated cost greater than $100,000, architectural plans and specifications therefor shall be submitted by the licensee to the Department for review and approval. A hospital may submit architectural drawings and specifications for other construction projects for Department review according to subsection (b) that shall not be subject to fees under subsection (d). The Department must give a hospital that is planning to submit a construction project for review the opportunity to discuss its plans and specifications with the Department before the hospital formally submits the plans and specifications for Department review. Review of drawings and specifications shall be conducted by an employee of the Department meeting the qualifications established by the Department of Central Management Services class specifications for such an individual's position or by a person contracting with the Department who meets those class specifications. Final approval of the plans and specifications for compliance with design and construction standards shall be obtained from the Department before the alteration, addition, or new construction is begun. Subject to this Section 8, and prior to January 1, 2012, the Department shall consider the re-licensing of an existing hospital structure according to the standards for an existing hospital, as set forth in the Department's rules. Re-licensing under this provision shall occur only if that facility operated as a licensed hospital on July 1, 2005, has had no intervening use as other than a hospital, and exists in a county with a population of less than 20,000 that does not have another licensed hospital on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly.

(b) The Department shall inform an applicant in writing within 10 working days after receiving drawings and specifications and the required fee, if any, from the applicant whether the applicant's submission is complete or incomplete. Failure to provide the applicant with this notice within 10 working days shall result in the submission being deemed complete for purposes of initiating the 60-day review period under this Section. If the submission is incomplete, the Department shall inform the applicant of the deficiencies with the submission in writing. If the submission is complete and the required fee, if any, has been paid, the Department shall approve or disapprove drawings and specifications submitted to the Department no later than 60 days following receipt by the Department. The drawings and specifications shall be of sufficient detail, as provided by Department rule, to enable the Department to render a determination of compliance with design and construction standards under this Act. If the Department finds that the drawings are not of sufficient detail for it to render a determination of compliance, the plans shall be determined to be incomplete and shall not be considered for purposes of initiating the 60 day review period. If a submission of drawings and specifications is incomplete, the applicant may submit additional information. The 60-day review period shall not commence until the Department determines that a submission of drawings and specifications is complete or the submission is deemed complete. If the Department has not approved or disapproved the drawings and specifications within 60 days, the construction, major alteration, or addition shall be deemed approved. If the drawings and specifications are disapproved, the Department shall state in writing, with specificity, the reasons for the disapproval. The entity submitting the drawings and specifications may submit additional information in response to the written comments from the Department or request a reconsideration of the disapproval. A final decision of approval or disapproval shall be made within 45 days of the receipt of the additional information or reconsideration request. A final decision shall be subject to review under the Administrative Review Law.

(c) The Department shall provide written approval for occupancy pursuant to subsection (g) and shall not issue a violation to a facility as a result of a licensure or complaint survey based upon the facility's physical structure if:

(1) the Department reviewed and approved or deemed approved the drawing and specifications for compliance with design and construction standards;

(2) the construction, major alteration, or addition was built as submitted;

(3) the law or rules have not been amended since the original approval; and

(4) the conditions at the facility indicate that there is a reasonable degree of safety provided for the patients.

(c-5) The Department shall not issue a violation to a facility if the inspected aspects of the facility were previously found to be in compliance with applicable standards, the relevant law or rules have not been amended, conditions at the facility reasonably protect the safety of its patients, and alterations or new hazards have not been identified.

(d) The Department shall charge the following fees in connection with its reviews conducted before June 30, 2004 under this Section:

(1) (Blank).

(2) (Blank).

(3) If the estimated dollar value of the major construction is greater than $500,000, the fee shall be established by the Department pursuant to rules that reflect the reasonable and direct cost of the Department in conducting the architectural reviews required under this Section. The estimated dollar value of the major construction subject to review under this Section shall be annually readjusted to reflect the increase in construction costs due to inflation.

The fees provided in this subsection (d) shall not apply to major construction projects involving facility changes that are required by Department rule amendments or to projects related to homeland security.

The fees provided in this subsection (d) shall also not apply to major construction projects if 51% or more of the estimated cost of the project is attributed to capital equipment. For major construction projects where 51% or more of the estimated cost of the project is attributed to capital equipment, the Department shall by rule establish a fee that is reasonably related to the cost of reviewing the project.

Disproportionate share hospitals and rural hospitals shall only pay one-half of the fees required in this subsection (d). For the purposes of this subsection (d), (i) "disproportionate share hospital" means a hospital described in items (1) through (5) of subsection (b) of Section 5-5.02 of the Illinois Public Aid Code and (ii) "rural hospital" means a hospital that is (A) located outside a metropolitan statistical area or (B) located 15 miles or less from a county that is outside a metropolitan statistical area and is licensed to perform medical/surgical or obstetrical services and has a combined total bed capacity of 75 or fewer beds in these 2 service categories as of July 14, 1993, as determined by the Department.

The Department shall not commence the facility plan review process under this Section until the applicable fee has been paid.

(e) All fees received by the Department under this Section shall be deposited into the Health Facility Plan Review Fund, a special fund created in the State treasury. All fees paid by hospitals under subsection (d) shall be used only to cover the direct and reasonable costs relating to the Department's review of hospital projects under this Section. Moneys shall be appropriated from that Fund to the Department only to pay the costs of conducting reviews under this Section. None of the moneys in the Health Facility Plan Review Fund shall be used to reduce the amount of General Revenue Fund moneys appropriated to the Department for facility plan reviews conducted pursuant to this Section.

(f) (Blank).

(g) The Department shall conduct an on-site inspection of the completed project no later than 15 business days after notification from the applicant that the project has been completed and all certifications required by the Department have been received and accepted by the Department. The Department may extend this deadline only if a federally mandated survey time frame takes precedence. The Department shall provide written approval for occupancy to the applicant within 5 working days of the Department's final inspection, provided the applicant has demonstrated substantial compliance as defined by Department rule. Occupancy of new major construction is prohibited until Department approval is received, unless the Department has not acted within the time frames provided in this subsection (g), in which case the construction shall be deemed approved. Occupancy shall be authorized after any required health inspection by the Department has been conducted.

(h) The Department shall establish, by rule, a procedure to conduct interim on-site review of large or complex construction projects.

(i) The Department shall establish, by rule, an expedited process for emergency repairs or replacement of like equipment.

(j) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to apply to maintenance, upkeep, or renovation that does not affect the structural integrity of the building, does not add beds or services over the number for which the facility is licensed, and provides a reasonable degree of safety for the patients.

(Source: P.A. 99-639, eff. 7-28-16.)

(210 ILCS 85/8.5)

Sec. 8.5. Waiver or alternative compliance. Upon application by a hospital, the Department may grant or renew a waiver or alternative compliance methodology with a rule or standard, including without limitation rules and standards for (i) design and construction, (ii) engineering and maintenance of the physical plant, site, equipment, and systems (heating, cooling, electrical, ventilation, plumbing, water, sewer, and solid waste disposal), (iii) fire and safety, and (iv) other rules or standards that may present a barrier to the development, adoption, or implementation of an innovation designed to improve patient care, for a period not to exceed the duration of the current license or, in the case of an application for license renewal, the duration of the renewal period. The waiver may be conditioned upon the hospital taking action prescribed by the Department as a measure equivalent to compliance. In determining whether to grant or renew a waiver, the Department shall consider the duration and basis for any current waiver with respect to the same rule or standard and the validity and effect upon patient health and safety of extending it on the same basis, the effect upon the health and safety of patients, the quality of patient care, the hospital's history of compliance with the rules and standards of this Act, and the hospital's attempts to comply with the particular rule or standard in question. The Department may provide, by rule, for the automatic renewal of waivers concerning construction or physical plant requirements upon the renewal of a license. The Department shall renew waivers relating to construction or physical plant standards issued pursuant to this Section at the time of the indicated reviews, unless it can show why such waivers should not be extended for the following reasons:

(1) the condition of the physical plant has deteriorated or its use substantially changed so that the basis upon which the waiver was issued is materially different; or

(2) the hospital is renovated or substantially remodeled in such a way as to permit compliance with the applicable rules and standards without substantial increase in cost.

A copy of each waiver application and each waiver granted or renewed shall be on file with the Department and available for public inspection.

The Department shall advise hospitals of any applicable federal waivers about which it is aware and for which the hospital may apply.

In the event that the Department does not grant or renew a waiver of a rule or standard, the Department must notify the hospital in writing detailing the specific reasons for not granting or renewing the waiver and must discuss possible options, if any, the hospital could take to have the waiver approved.

This Section shall apply to both new and existing construction.

(Source: P.A. 92-803, eff. 8-16-02; 93-41, eff. 6-27-03.)

(210 ILCS 85/9) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 150)

Sec. 9. Inspections and investigations. The Department shall make or cause to be made such inspections and investigations as it deems necessary, except that, subject to appropriation, the Department shall investigate every allegation of abuse of a patient received by the Department. Information received by the Department through filed reports, inspection, or as otherwise authorized under this Act shall not be disclosed publicly in such manner as to identify individuals or hospitals, except (i) in a proceeding involving the denial, suspension, or revocation of a permit to establish a hospital or a proceeding involving the denial, suspension, or revocation of a license to open, conduct, operate, and maintain a hospital, (ii) to the Department of Children and Family Services in the course of a child abuse or neglect investigation conducted by that Department or by the Department of Public Health, (iii) in accordance with Section 6.14a of this Act, or (iv) in other circumstances as may be approved by the Hospital Licensing Board.

(Source: P.A. 96-692, eff. 1-1-10.)

(210 ILCS 85/9.1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 150.1)

Sec. 9.1. The Department shall regularly inspect each State mental health and developmental disabilities institution under the jurisdiction of the Department of Human Services to ascertain if the institution is complying with the regulations applicable to it. Such inspection shall be made at least annually, and special inspections may be made at the discretion of the Director. The results of every inspection shall be reported in writing to the Governor, the Director of the Department, the General Assembly, and any permanent mental health committee, board or commission that may be established by the Governor or General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 89-507, eff. 7-1-97.)

(210 ILCS 85/9.2)

Sec. 9.2. Disclosure. Prior to conducting a survey of a hospital operating under an approved waiver, equivalency, or other approval, a surveyor must be made aware of the waiver, equivalency, or other approval prior to entering the hospital. Prior to commencing an inspection, the Department must provide the hospital with documentation that the survey is being conducted, with consideration of the relevant waiver, equivalency, or approval. After conducting the survey, the Department must conduct a comprehensive exit interview with designated hospital representatives at which the hospital may present additional information regarding findings.

(Source: P.A. 92-803, eff. 8-16-02.)

(210 ILCS 85/9.3)

Sec. 9.3. Informal dispute resolution. The Department must offer an opportunity for informal dispute resolution concerning Department rules and standards before the advisory committee under subsection (b) of Section 2310-560 of the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Participants in this process must include representatives from the Department, representatives of the hospital, and additional representatives deemed appropriate by both parties with expertise regarding the contested deficiencies and the management of health care facilities. If the Department does not resolve disputed deficiencies after the informal dispute resolution process, the Department must provide a written explanation to the hospital of why the deficiencies have not been removed from the statement of deficiencies.

(Source: P.A. 92-803, eff. 8-16-02; 93-41, eff. 6-27-03.)

(210 ILCS 85/9.4)

Sec. 9.4. Findings, conclusions, and citations. The Department must consider any factual information offered by the hospital during the survey, inspection, or investigation, at daily status briefings, and in the exit briefing required under Section 9.2 before making final findings and conclusions or issuing citations. The Department must document receipt of such information. The Department must provide the hospital with written notice of its findings and conclusions within 10 days of the exit briefing required under Section 9.2. This notice must provide the following information: (i) identification of all deficiencies and areas of noncompliance with applicable law; (ii) identification of the applicable statutes, rules, codes, or standards that were violated; and (iii) the factual basis for each deficiency or violation.

(Source: P.A. 93-41, eff. 6-27-03.)

(210 ILCS 85/9.5)

Sec. 9.5. Reviewer quality improvement. The Department must implement a reviewer performance improvement program for hospital survey, inspection, and investigation staff. The Department must also, on a quarterly basis, assess whether its surveyors, inspectors, and investigators: (i) apply the same protocols and criteria consistently to substantially similar situations; (ii) reach similar findings and conclusions when reviewing substantially similar situations; (iii) conduct surveys, inspections, or investigations in a professional manner; and (iv) comply with the provisions of this Act. The Department must also implement continuing education programs for its surveyors, inspectors, and investigators pursuant to the findings of the performance improvement program.

(Source: P.A. 93-41, eff. 6-27-03.)

(210 ILCS 85/9.6)

(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 103-803)

Sec. 9.6. Patient protection from abuse.

(a) No administrator, agent, or employee of a hospital or a member of its medical staff may abuse a patient in the hospital.

(b) Any hospital administrator, agent, employee, or medical staff member who has reasonable cause to believe that any patient with whom he or she has direct contact has been subjected to abuse in the hospital shall promptly report or cause a report to be made to a designated hospital administrator responsible for providing such reports to the Department as required by this Section.

(c) Retaliation against a person who lawfully and in good faith makes a report under this Section is prohibited.

(d) Upon receiving a report under subsection (b) of this Section, the hospital shall submit the report to the Department within 24 hours of obtaining such report. In the event that the hospital receives multiple reports involving a single alleged instance of abuse, the hospital shall submit one report to the Department.

(e) Upon receiving a report under this Section, the hospital shall promptly conduct an internal review to ensure the alleged victim's safety. Measures to protect the alleged victim shall be taken as deemed necessary by the hospital's administrator and may include, but are not limited to, removing suspected violators from further patient contact during the hospital's internal review. If the alleged victim lacks decision-making capacity under the Health Care Surrogate Act and no health care surrogate is available, the hospital may contact the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission to determine the need for a temporary guardian of that person.

(f) All internal hospital reviews shall be conducted by a designated hospital employee or agent who is qualified to detect abuse and is not involved in the alleged victim's treatment. All internal review findings must be documented and filed according to hospital procedures and shall be made available to the Department upon request.

(g) Any other person may make a report of patient abuse to the Department if that person has reasonable cause to believe that a patient has been abused in the hospital.

(h) The report required under this Section shall include: the name of the patient; the name and address of the hospital treating the patient; the age of the patient; the nature of the patient's condition, including any evidence of previous injuries or disabilities; and any other information that the reporter believes might be helpful in establishing the cause of the reported abuse and the identity of the person believed to have caused the abuse.

(i) Except for willful or wanton misconduct, any individual, person, institution, or agency participating in good faith in the making of a report under this Section, or in the investigation of such a report or in making a disclosure of information concerning reports of abuse under this Section, shall have immunity from any liability, whether civil, professional, or criminal, that otherwise might result by reason of such actions. For the purpose of any proceedings, whether civil, professional, or criminal, the good faith of any persons required to report cases of suspected abuse under this Section or who disclose information concerning reports of abuse in compliance with this Section, shall be presumed.

(j) No administrator, agent, or employee of a hospital shall adopt or employ practices or procedures designed to discourage good faith reporting of patient abuse under this Section.

(k) Every hospital shall ensure that all new and existing employees are trained in the detection and reporting of abuse of patients and retrained at least every 2 years thereafter.

(l) The Department shall investigate each report of patient abuse made under this Section according to the procedures of the Department, except that a report of abuse which indicates that a patient's life or safety is in imminent danger shall be investigated within 24 hours of such report. Under no circumstances may a hospital's internal review of an allegation of abuse replace an investigation of the allegation by the Department.

(m) The Department shall keep a continuing record of all reports made pursuant to this Section, including indications of the final determination of any investigation and the final disposition of all reports. The Department shall inform the investigated hospital and any other person making a report under subsection (g) of its final determination or disposition in writing.

(n) The Department shall not disclose to the public any information regarding any reports and investigations under this Section unless and until the report of abuse is substantiated following a full and proper investigation.

(o) All patient identifiable information in any report or investigation under this Section shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except as authorized by this Act or other applicable law.

(p) Nothing in this Section relieves a hospital administrator, employee, agent, or medical staff member from contacting appropriate law enforcement authorities as required by law.

(q) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to mean that a patient is a victim of abuse because of health care services provided or not provided by health care professionals.

(r) Nothing in this Section shall require a hospital, including its employees, agents, and medical staff members, to provide any services to a patient in contravention of his or her stated or implied objection thereto upon grounds that such services conflict with his or her religious beliefs or practices, nor shall such a patient be considered abused under this Section for the exercise of such beliefs or practices.

(s) The Department's implementation of this Section is subject to appropriations to the Department for that purpose.

(t) As used in this Section, the following terms have the following meanings:

"Abuse" means any physical or mental injury or sexual abuse intentionally inflicted by a hospital employee, agent, or medical staff member on a patient of the hospital and does not include any hospital, medical, health care, or other personal care services done in good faith in the interest of the patient according to established medical and clinical standards of care.

"Mental injury" means intentionally caused emotional distress in a patient from words or gestures that would be considered by a reasonable person to be humiliating, harassing, or threatening and which causes observable and substantial impairment.

"Sexual abuse" means any intentional act of sexual contact or sexual penetration of a patient in the hospital.

"Substantiated", with respect to a report of abuse, means that a preponderance of the evidence indicates that abuse occurred.

(Source: P.A. 96-692, eff. 1-1-10.)

(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 103-803)

Sec. 9.6. Patient protection from abuse.

(a) No administrator, agent, or employee of a hospital or a hospital affiliate, or a member of a hospital's medical staff, may abuse a patient in the hospital or in a facility operated by a hospital affiliate.

(b) Any hospital administrator, agent, employee, or medical staff member, or an administrator, employee, or physician employed by a hospital affiliate, who has reasonable cause to believe that any patient with whom he or she has direct contact has been subjected to abuse in the hospital or hospital affiliate shall promptly report or cause a report to be made to a designated hospital administrator responsible for providing such reports to the Department as required by this Section.

(c) Retaliation against a person who lawfully and in good faith makes a report under this Section is prohibited.

(d) Upon receiving a report under subsection (b) of this Section, the hospital or hospital affiliate shall submit the report to the Department within 24 hours of obtaining such report. In the event that the hospital receives multiple reports involving a single alleged instance of abuse, the hospital shall submit one report to the Department.

(e) Upon receiving a report under this Section, the hospital or hospital affiliate shall promptly conduct an internal review to ensure the alleged victim's safety. Measures to protect the alleged victim shall be taken as deemed necessary by the hospital's administrator and may include, but are not limited to, removing suspected violators from further patient contact during the hospital's or hospital affiliate's internal review. If the alleged victim lacks decision-making capacity under the Health Care Surrogate Act and no health care surrogate is available, the hospital or hospital affiliate may contact the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission to determine the need for a temporary guardian of that person.

(f) All internal hospital and hospital affiliate reviews shall be conducted by a designated employee or agent who is qualified to detect abuse and is not involved in the alleged victim's treatment. All internal review findings must be documented and filed according to hospital or hospital affiliate procedures and shall be made available to the Department upon request.

(g) Any other person may make a report of patient abuse to the Department if that person has reasonable cause to believe that a patient has been abused in the hospital or hospital affiliate.

(h) The report required under this Section shall include: the name of the patient; the name and address of the hospital or hospital affiliate treating the patient; the age of the patient; the nature of the patient's condition, including any evidence of previous injuries or disabilities; and any other information that the reporter believes might be helpful in establishing the cause of the reported abuse and the identity of the person believed to have caused the abuse.

(i) Except for willful or wanton misconduct, any individual, person, institution, or agency participating in good faith in the making of a report under this Section, or in the investigation of such a report or in making a disclosure of information concerning reports of abuse under this Section, shall have immunity from any liability, whether civil, professional, or criminal, that otherwise might result by reason of such actions. For the purpose of any proceedings, whether civil, professional, or criminal, the good faith of any persons required to report cases of suspected abuse under this Section or who disclose information concerning reports of abuse in compliance with this Section, shall be presumed.

(j) No administrator, agent, or employee of a hospital or hospital affiliate shall adopt or employ practices or procedures designed to discourage good faith reporting of patient abuse under this Section.

(k) Every hospital and hospital affiliate shall ensure that all new and existing employees are trained in the detection and reporting of abuse of patients and retrained at least every 2 years thereafter.

(l) The Department shall investigate each report of patient abuse made under this Section according to the procedures of the Department, except that a report of abuse which indicates that a patient's life or safety is in imminent danger shall be investigated within 24 hours of such report. Under no circumstances may a hospital's or hospital affiliate's internal review of an allegation of abuse replace an investigation of the allegation by the Department.

(m) The Department shall keep a continuing record of all reports made pursuant to this Section, including indications of the final determination of any investigation and the final disposition of all reports. The Department shall inform the investigated hospital or hospital affiliate and any other person making a report under subsection (g) of its final determination or disposition in writing.

(n) The Department shall not disclose to the public any information regarding any reports and investigations under this Section unless and until the report of abuse is substantiated following a full and proper investigation.

(o) All patient identifiable information in any report or investigation under this Section shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except as authorized by this Act or other applicable law.

(p) Nothing in this Section relieves a hospital or hospital affiliate administrator, employee, agent, or medical staff member from contacting appropriate law enforcement authorities as required by law.

(q) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to mean that a patient is a victim of abuse because of health care services provided or not provided by health care professionals.

(r) Nothing in this Section shall require a hospital or hospital affiliate, including its employees, agents, and medical staff members, to provide any services to a patient in contravention of his or her stated or implied objection thereto upon grounds that such services conflict with his or her religious beliefs or practices, nor shall such a patient be considered abused under this Section for the exercise of such beliefs or practices.

(s) The Department's implementation of this Section is subject to appropriations to the Department for that purpose.

(t) As used in this Section, the following terms have the following meanings:

"Abuse" means any physical or mental injury or sexual abuse intentionally inflicted by a hospital or hospital affiliate employee, agent, or medical staff member on a patient of the hospital or hospital affiliate and does not include any hospital or hospital affiliate, medical, health care, or other personal care services done in good faith in the interest of the patient according to established medical and clinical standards of care.

"Hospital affiliate" has the meaning given to that term in Section 10.8.

"Mental injury" means intentionally caused emotional distress in a patient from words or gestures that would be considered by a reasonable person to be humiliating, harassing, or threatening and which causes observable and substantial impairment.

"Sexual abuse" means any intentional act of sexual contact or sexual penetration of a patient in the hospital.

"Substantiated", with respect to a report of abuse, means that a preponderance of the evidence indicates that abuse occurred.

(Source: P.A. 103-803, eff. 1-1-25.)

(210 ILCS 85/9.7)

Sec. 9.7. List of individuals that may not be admitted for treatment prohibited. No hospital may maintain a list of individuals that may not be admitted for treatment at the hospital. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prohibit a hospital or a member of the hospital's medical staff from recommending an alternate provider, coordinating an appropriate transfer, or arranging access to care services that best meets the needs of an individual patient.

(Source: P.A. 100-306, eff. 1-1-18.)

(210 ILCS 85/9.8)

Sec. 9.8. Compliance with the Health Care Violence Prevention Act. A hospital licensed under this Act shall comply with the Health Care Violence Prevention Act.

(Source: P.A. 100-1051, eff. 1-1-19.)

(210 ILCS 85/10) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 151)

Sec. 10. Board creation; Department rules.

(a) The Governor shall appoint a Hospital Licensing Board composed of 14 persons, which shall advise and consult with the Director in the administration of this Act. The Secretary of Human Services (or his or her designee) shall serve on the Board, along with one additional representative of the Department of Human Services to be designated by the Secretary. Four appointive members shall represent the general public and 2 of these shall be members of hospital governing boards; one appointive member shall be a registered professional nurse or advanced practice registered nurse as defined in the Nurse Practice Act, who is employed in a hospital; 3 appointive members shall be hospital administrators actively engaged in the supervision or administration of hospitals; 2 appointive members shall be practicing physicians, licensed in Illinois to practice medicine in all of its branches; and one appointive member shall be a physician licensed to practice podiatric medicine under the Podiatric Medical Practice Act of 1987; and one appointive member shall be a dentist licensed to practice dentistry under the Illinois Dental Practice Act. In making Board appointments, the Governor shall give consideration to recommendations made through the Director by professional organizations concerned with hospital administration for the hospital administrative and governing board appointments, registered professional nurse organizations for the registered professional nurse appointment, professional medical organizations for the physician appointments, and professional dental organizations for the dentist appointment.

(b) Each appointive member shall hold office for a term of 3 years, except that any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such term and the terms of office of the members first taking office shall expire, as designated at the time of appointment, 2 at the end of the first year, 2 at the end of the second year, and 3 at the end of the third year, after the date of appointment. The initial terms of office of the 2 additional members representing the general public provided for in this Section shall expire at the end of the third year after the date of appointment. The term of office of each original appointee shall commence July 1, 1953; the term of office of the original registered professional nurse appointee shall commence July 1, 1969; the term of office of the original licensed podiatric physician appointee shall commence July 1, 1981; the term of office of the original dentist appointee shall commence July 1, 1987; and the term of office of each successor shall commence on July 1 of the year in which his predecessor's term expires. Board members, while serving on business of the Board, shall receive actual and necessary travel and subsistence expenses while so serving away from their places of residence. The Board shall meet as frequently as the Director deems necessary, but not less than once a year. Upon request of 5 or more members, the Director shall call a meeting of the Board.

(c) The Director shall prescribe rules, regulations, standards, and statements of policy needed to implement, interpret, or make specific the provisions and purposes of this Act. The Department shall adopt rules which set forth standards for determining when the public interest, safety or welfare requires emergency action in relation to termination of a research program or experimental procedure conducted by a hospital licensed under this Act. No rule, regulation, or standard shall be adopted by the Department concerning the operation of hospitals licensed under this Act which has not had prior approval of the Hospital Licensing Board, nor shall the Department adopt any rule, regulation or standard relating to the establishment of a hospital without consultation with the Hospital Licensing Board.

(d) Within one year after August 7, 1984 (the effective date of Public Act 83-1248), all hospitals licensed under this Act and providing perinatal care shall comply with standards of perinatal care promulgated by the Department. The Director shall promulgate rules or regulations under this Act which are consistent with the Developmental Disability Prevention Act.

(Source: P.A. 100-201, eff. 8-18-17; 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)

(210 ILCS 85/10.1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 151.1)

Sec. 10.1. In connection with any application for a license or a renewal thereof, the Department may request such information about the applicant's internship or residency training program as may be necessary to establish that the intern, resident, or physician is in compliance with the requirements of paragraph (1)(a) or (2)(a) of subsection (A) of Section 11, or Section 17, of the Medical Practice Act of 1987, in these respects.

(Source: P.A. 85-1209.)

(210 ILCS 85/10.2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 151.2)

Sec. 10.2. Because the candid and conscientious evaluation of clinical practices is essential to the provision of adequate hospital care, it is the policy of this State to encourage peer review by health care providers. Therefore, no hospital and no individual who is a member, agent, or employee of a hospital, hospital medical staff, hospital administrative staff, or hospital governing board shall be liable for civil damages as a result of the acts, omissions, decisions, or any other conduct, except those involving wilful or wanton misconduct, of a medical utilization committee, medical review committee, patient care audit committee, medical care evaluation committee, quality review committee, credential committee, peer review committee, or any other committee or individual whose purpose, directly or indirectly, is internal quality control or medical study to reduce morbidity or mortality, or for improving patient care within a hospital, or the improving or benefiting of patient care and treatment, whether within a hospital or not, or for the purpose of professional discipline including institution of a summary suspension in accordance with Section 10.4 of this Act and the medical staff bylaws. Nothing in this Section shall relieve any individual or hospital from liability arising from treatment of a patient. For the purposes of this Section, "wilful and wanton misconduct" means a course of action that shows actual or deliberate intention to harm or that, if not intentional, shows an utter indifference to or conscious disregard for a person's own safety and the safety of others.

(Source: P.A. 99-642, eff. 7-28-16.)

(210 ILCS 85/10.3) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 151.3)

Sec. 10.3. No hospital shall allow any person to take part as a student in a clinical training program of that hospital which is designed, in whole or in part, to fulfill the requirements for licensure as a physician unless that person is currently enrolled as a student in a curriculum of a medical or osteopathic college or school which has been approved as being reputable and in good standing by the Department of Professional Regulation or is enrolled in a curriculum of a professional school, college or institution teaching the treatment of human ailments without drugs or medicines and without operative surgery which has been approved as being reputable and in good standing by the Department of Professional Regulation.

(Source: P.A. 85-1209.)

(210 ILCS 85/10.4) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 151.4)

Sec. 10.4. Medical staff privileges.

(a) Any hospital licensed under this Act or any hospital organized under the University of Illinois Hospital Act shall, prior to the granting of any medical staff privileges to an applicant, or renewing a current medical staff member's privileges, request of the Director of Professional Regulation information concerning the licensure status, proper credentials, required certificates, and any disciplinary action taken against the applicant's or medical staff member's license, except: (1) for medical personnel who enter a hospital to obtain organs and tissues for transplant from a donor in accordance with the Illinois Anatomical Gift Act; or (2) for medical personnel who have been granted disaster privileges pursuant to the procedures and requirements established by rules adopted by the Department. Any hospital and any employees of the hospital or others involved in granting privileges who, in good faith, grant disaster privileges pursuant to this Section to respond to an emergency shall not, as a result of their acts or omissions, be liable for civil damages for granting or denying disaster privileges except in the event of willful and wanton misconduct, as that term is defined in Section 10.2 of this Act. Individuals granted privileges who provide care in an emergency situation, in good faith and without direct compensation, shall not, as a result of their acts or omissions, except for acts or omissions involving willful and wanton misconduct, as that term is defined in Section 10.2 of this Act, on the part of the person, be liable for civil damages. The Director of Professional Regulation shall transmit, in writing and in a timely fashion, such information regarding the license of the applicant or the medical staff member, including the record of imposition of any periods of supervision or monitoring as a result of alcohol or substance abuse, as provided by Section 23 of the Medical Practice Act of 1987, and such information as may have been submitted to the Department indicating that the application or medical staff member has been denied, or has surrendered, medical staff privileges at a hospital licensed under this Act, or any equivalent facility in another state or territory of the United States. The Director of Professional Regulation shall define by rule the period for timely response to such requests.

No transmittal of information by the Director of Professional Regulation, under this Section shall be to other than the president, chief operating officer, chief administrative officer, or chief of the medical staff of a hospital licensed under this Act, a hospital organized under the University of Illinois Hospital Act, or a hospital operated by the United States, or any of its instrumentalities. The information so transmitted shall be afforded the same status as is information concerning medical studies by Part 21 of Article VIII of the Code of Civil Procedure, as now or hereafter amended.

(b) All hospitals licensed under this Act, except county hospitals as defined in subsection (c) of Section 15-1 of the Illinois Public Aid Code, shall comply with, and the medical staff bylaws of these hospitals shall include rules consistent with, the provisions of this Section in granting, limiting, renewing, or denying medical staff membership and clinical staff privileges. Hospitals that require medical staff members to possess faculty status with a specific institution of higher education are not required to comply with subsection (1) below when the physician does not possess faculty status.

(1) Minimum procedures for pre-applicants and applicants for medical staff membership shall include the following:

(A) Written procedures relating to the acceptance and processing of pre-applicants or applicants for medical staff membership, which should be contained in medical staff bylaws.

(B) Written procedures to be followed in determining a pre-applicant's or an applicant's qualifications for being granted medical staff membership and privileges.

(C) Written criteria to be followed in evaluating a pre-applicant's or an applicant's qualifications.

(D) An evaluation of a pre-applicant's or an applicant's current health status and current license status in Illinois.

(E) A written response to each pre-applicant or applicant that explains the reason or reasons for any adverse decision (including all reasons based in whole or in part on the applicant's medical qualifications or any other basis, including economic factors).

(2) Minimum procedures with respect to medical staff and clinical privilege determinations concerning current members of the medical staff shall include the following:

(A) A written notice of an adverse decision.

(B) An explanation of the reasons for an adverse decision including all reasons based on the quality of medical care or any other basis, including economic factors.

(C) A statement of the medical staff member's right to request a fair hearing on the adverse decision before a hearing panel whose membership is mutually agreed upon by the medical staff and the hospital governing board. The hearing panel shall have independent authority to recommend action to the hospital governing board. Upon the request of the medical staff member or the hospital governing board, the hearing panel shall make findings concerning the nature of each basis for any adverse decision recommended to and accepted by the hospital governing board.

(i) Nothing in this subparagraph (C) limits a hospital's or medical staff's right to summarily suspend, without a prior hearing, a person's medical staff membership or clinical privileges if the continuation of practice of a medical staff member constitutes an immediate danger to the public, including patients, visitors, and hospital employees and staff. In the event that a hospital or the medical staff imposes a summary suspension, the Medical Executive Committee, or other comparable governance committee of the medical staff as specified in the bylaws, must meet as soon as is reasonably possible to review the suspension and to recommend whether it should be affirmed, lifted, expunged, or modified if the suspended physician requests such review. A summary suspension may not be implemented unless there is actual documentation or other reliable information that an immediate danger exists. This documentation or information must be available at the time the summary suspension decision is made and when the decision is reviewed by the Medical Executive Committee. If the Medical Executive Committee recommends that the summary suspension should be lifted, expunged, or modified, this recommendation must be reviewed and considered by the hospital governing board, or a committee of the board, on an expedited basis. Nothing in this subparagraph (C) shall affect the requirement that any requested hearing must be commenced within 15 days after the summary suspension and completed without delay unless otherwise agreed to by the parties. A fair hearing shall be commenced within 15 days after the suspension and completed without delay, except that when the medical staff member's license to practice has been suspended or revoked by the State's licensing authority, no hearing shall be necessary.

(ii) Nothing in this subparagraph (C) limits a medical staff's right to permit, in the medical staff bylaws, summary suspension of membership or clinical privileges in designated administrative circumstances as specifically approved by the medical staff. This bylaw provision must specifically describe both the administrative circumstance that can result in a summary suspension and the length of the summary suspension. The opportunity for a fair hearing is required for any administrative summary suspension. Any requested hearing must be commenced within 15 days after the summary suspension and completed without delay. Adverse decisions other than suspension or other restrictions on the treatment or admission of patients may be imposed summarily and without a hearing under designated administrative circumstances as specifically provided for in the medical staff bylaws as approved by the medical staff.

(iii) If a hospital exercises its option to enter into an exclusive contract and that contract results in the total or partial termination or reduction of medical staff membership or clinical privileges of a current medical staff member, the hospital shall provide the affected medical staff member 60 days prior notice of the effect on his or her medical staff membership or privileges. An affected medical staff member desiring a hearing under subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (2) must request the hearing within 14 days after the date he or she is so notified. The requested hearing shall be commenced and completed (with a report and recommendation to the affected medical staff member, hospital governing board, and medical staff) within 30 days after the date of the medical staff member's request. If agreed upon by both the medical staff and the hospital governing board, the medical staff bylaws may provide for longer time periods.

(C-5) All peer review used for the purpose of credentialing, privileging, disciplinary action, or other recommendations affecting medical staff membership or exercise of clinical privileges, whether relying in whole or in part on internal or external reviews, shall be conducted in accordance with the medical staff bylaws and applicable rules, regulations, or policies of the medical staff. If external review is obtained, any adverse report utilized shall be in writing and shall be made part of the internal peer review process under the bylaws. The report shall also be shared with a medical staff peer review committee and the individual under review. If the medical staff peer review committee or the individual under review prepares a written response to the report of the external peer review within 30 days after receiving such report, the governing board shall consider the response prior to the implementation of any final actions by the governing board which may affect the individual's medical staff membership or clinical privileges. Any peer review that involves willful or wanton misconduct shall be subject to civil damages as provided for under Section 10.2 of this Act.

(D) A statement of the member's right to inspect all pertinent information in the hospital's possession with respect to the decision.

(E) A statement of the member's right to present witnesses and other evidence at the hearing on the decision.

(E-5) The right to be represented by a personal attorney.

(F) A written notice and written explanation of the decision resulting from the hearing.

(F-5) A written notice of a final adverse decision by a hospital governing board.

(G) Notice given 15 days before implementation of an adverse medical staff membership or clinical privileges decision based substantially on economic factors. This notice shall be given after the medical staff member exhausts all applicable procedures under this Section, including item (iii) of subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (2), and under the medical staff bylaws in order to allow sufficient time for the orderly provision of patient care.

(H) Nothing in this paragraph (2) of this subsection (b) limits a medical staff member's right to waive, in writing, the rights provided in subparagraphs (A) through (G) of this paragraph (2) of this subsection (b) upon being granted the written exclusive right to provide particular services at a hospital, either individually or as a member of a group. If an exclusive contract is signed by a representative of a group of physicians, a waiver contained in the contract shall apply to all members of the group unless stated otherwise in the contract.

(3) Every adverse medical staff membership and clinical privilege decision based substantially on economic factors shall be reported to the Hospital Licensing Board before the decision takes effect. These reports shall not be disclosed in any form that reveals the identity of any hospital or physician. These reports shall be utilized to study the effects that hospital medical staff membership and clinical privilege decisions based upon economic factors have on access to care and the availability of physician services. The Hospital Licensing Board shall submit an initial study to the Governor and the General Assembly by January 1, 1996, and subsequent reports shall be submitted periodically thereafter.

(4) As used in this Section:

"Adverse decision" means a decision reducing, restricting, suspending, revoking, denying, or not renewing medical staff membership or clinical privileges.

"Economic factor" means any information or reasons for decisions unrelated to quality of care or professional competency.

"Pre-applicant" means a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches who requests an application for medical staff membership or privileges.

"Privilege" means permission to provide medical or other patient care services and permission to use hospital resources, including equipment, facilities and personnel that are necessary to effectively provide medical or other patient care services. This definition shall not be construed to require a hospital to acquire additional equipment, facilities, or personnel to accommodate the granting of privileges.

(5) Any amendment to medical staff bylaws required because of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly shall be adopted on or before July 1, 2001.

(c) All hospitals shall consult with the medical staff prior to closing membership in the entire or any portion of the medical staff or a department. If the hospital closes membership in the medical staff, any portion of the medical staff, or the department over the objections of the medical staff, then the hospital shall provide a detailed written explanation for the decision to the medical staff 10 days prior to the effective date of any closure. No applications need to be provided when membership in the medical staff or any relevant portion of the medical staff is closed.

(Source: P.A. 102-4, eff. 4-27-21.)

(210 ILCS 85/10.6)

Sec. 10.6. Hospital merger; medical staff bylaws. When one or more hospitals combine or merge in any manner that does not require any of the parties to the transaction to obtain a new license under this Act, the medical staff bylaws of each individual hospital shall remain in effect until such time as the bylaws are amended according to the terms of the bylaws. This Section shall not apply to a county hospital as defined in subsection (c) of Section 15-1 of the Illinois Public Aid Code.

(Source: P.A. 92-731, eff. 7-25-02.)

(210 ILCS 85/10.7)

Sec. 10.7. Clinical privileges; advanced practice registered nurses. All hospitals licensed under this Act shall comply with the following requirements:

(1) No hospital policy, rule, regulation, or practice shall be inconsistent with the provision of adequate collaboration and consultation in accordance with Section 54.5 of the Medical Practice Act of 1987.

(2) Operative surgical procedures shall be performed only by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches under the Medical Practice Act of 1987, a dentist licensed under the Illinois Dental Practice Act, or a podiatric physician licensed under the Podiatric Medical Practice Act of 1987, with medical staff membership and surgical clinical privileges granted at the hospital. A licensed physician, dentist, or podiatric physician may be assisted by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, dentist, dental assistant, podiatric physician, licensed advanced practice registered nurse, licensed physician assistant, licensed registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, surgical assistant, surgical technician, or other individuals granted clinical privileges to assist in surgery at the hospital. Payment for services rendered by an assistant in surgery who is not a hospital employee shall be paid at the appropriate non-physician modifier rate if the payor would have made payment had the same services been provided by a physician.

(2.5) A registered nurse licensed under the Nurse Practice Act and qualified by training and experience in operating room nursing shall be present in the operating room and function as the circulating nurse during all invasive or operative procedures. For purposes of this paragraph (2.5), "circulating nurse" means a registered nurse who is responsible for coordinating all nursing care, patient safety needs, and the needs of the surgical team in the operating room during an invasive or operative procedure.

(3) An advanced practice registered nurse is not required to possess prescriptive authority or a written collaborative agreement meeting the requirements of the Nurse Practice Act to provide advanced practice registered nursing services in a hospital. An advanced practice registered nurse must possess clinical privileges recommended by the medical staff and granted by the hospital in order to provide services. Individual advanced practice registered nurses may also be granted clinical privileges to order, select, and administer medications, including controlled substances, to provide delineated care. The attending physician must determine the advanced practice registered nurse's role in providing care for his or her patients, except as otherwise provided in medical staff bylaws. The medical staff shall periodically review the services of advanced practice registered nurses granted privileges. This review shall be conducted in accordance with item (2) of subsection (a) of Section 10.8 of this Act for advanced practice registered nurses employed by the hospital.

(4) The anesthesia service shall be under the direction of a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches who has had specialized preparation or experience in the area or who has completed a residency in anesthesiology. An anesthesiologist, Board certified or Board eligible, is recommended. Anesthesia services may only be administered pursuant to the order of a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, licensed dentist, or licensed podiatric physician.

(A) The individuals who, with clinical privileges granted at the hospital, may administer anesthesia services are limited to the following:

(i) an anesthesiologist; or

(ii) a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches; or

(iii) a dentist with authority to administer anesthesia under Section 8.1 of the Illinois Dental Practice Act; or

(iv) a licensed certified registered nurse anesthetist; or

(v) a podiatric physician licensed under the Podiatric Medical Practice Act of 1987.

(B) For anesthesia services, an anesthesiologist shall participate through discussion of and agreement with the anesthesia plan and shall remain physically present and be available on the premises during the delivery of anesthesia services for diagnosis, consultation, and treatment of emergency medical conditions. In the absence of 24-hour availability of anesthesiologists with medical staff privileges, an alternate policy (requiring participation, presence, and availability of a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches) shall be developed by the medical staff and licensed hospital in consultation with the anesthesia service.

(C) A certified registered nurse anesthetist is not required to possess prescriptive authority or a written collaborative agreement meeting the requirements of Section 65-35 of the Nurse Practice Act to provide anesthesia services ordered by a licensed physician, dentist, or podiatric physician. Licensed certified registered nurse anesthetists are authorized to select, order, and administer drugs and apply the appropriate medical devices in the provision of anesthesia services under the anesthesia plan agreed with by the anesthesiologist or, in the absence of an available anesthesiologist with clinical privileges, agreed with by the operating physician, operating dentist, or operating podiatric physician in accordance with the hospital's alternative policy.

(Source: P.A. 99-642, eff. 7-28-16; 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)

(210 ILCS 85/10.8)

Sec. 10.8. Requirements for employment of physicians.

(a) Physician employment by hospitals and hospital affiliates. Employing entities may employ physicians to practice medicine in all of its branches provided that the following requirements are met:

(1) The employed physician is a member of the medical staff of either the hospital or hospital affiliate. If a hospital affiliate decides to have a medical staff, its medical staff shall be organized in accordance with written bylaws where the affiliate medical staff is responsible for making recommendations to the governing body of the affiliate regarding all quality assurance activities and safeguarding professional autonomy. The affiliate medical staff bylaws may not be unilaterally changed by the governing body of the affiliate. Nothing in this Section requires hospital affiliates to have a medical staff.

(2) Independent physicians, who are not employed by an employing entity, periodically review the quality of the medical services provided by the employed physician to continuously improve patient care.

(3) The employing entity and the employed physician sign a statement acknowledging that the employer shall not unreasonably exercise control, direct, or interfere with the employed physician's exercise and execution of his or her professional judgment in a manner that adversely affects the employed physician's ability to provide quality care to patients. This signed statement shall take the form of a provision in the physician's employment contract or a separate signed document from the employing entity to the employed physician. This statement shall state: "As the employer of a physician, (employer's name) shall not unreasonably exercise control, direct, or interfere with the employed physician's exercise and execution of his or her professional judgment in a manner that adversely affects the employed physician's ability to provide quality care to patients."

(4) The employing entity shall establish a mutually agreed upon independent review process with criteria under which an employed physician may seek review of the alleged violation of this Section by physicians who are not employed by the employing entity. The affiliate may arrange with the hospital medical staff to conduct these reviews. The independent physicians shall make findings and recommendations to the employing entity and the employed physician within 30 days of the conclusion of the gathering of the relevant information.

(b) Definitions. For the purpose of this Section:

"Employing entity" means a hospital licensed under the Hospital Licensing Act or a hospital affiliate.

"Employed physician" means a physician who receives an IRS W-2 form, or any successor federal income tax form, from an employing entity.

"Hospital" means a hospital licensed under the Hospital Licensing Act, except county hospitals as defined in subsection (c) of Section 15-1 of the Illinois Public Aid Code.

"Hospital affiliate" means a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, or similar organization, other than a hospital, that is devoted primarily to the provision, management, or support of health care services and that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control of the hospital. "Control" means having at least an equal or a majority ownership or membership interest. A hospital affiliate shall be 100% owned or controlled by any combination of hospitals, their parent corporations, or physicians licensed to practice medicine in all its branches in Illinois. "Hospital affiliate" does not include a health maintenance organization regulated under the Health Maintenance Organization Act.

"Physician" means an individual licensed to practice medicine in all its branches in Illinois.

"Professional judgment" means the exercise of a physician's independent clinical judgment in providing medically appropriate diagnoses, care, and treatment to a particular patient at a particular time. Situations in which an employing entity does not interfere with an employed physician's professional judgment include, without limitation, the following:

(1) practice restrictions based upon peer review of the physician's clinical practice to assess quality of care and utilization of resources in accordance with applicable bylaws;

(2) supervision of physicians by appropriately licensed medical directors, medical school faculty, department chairpersons or directors, or supervising physicians;

(3) written statements of ethical or religious directives; and

(4) reasonable referral restrictions that do not, in the reasonable professional judgment of the physician, adversely affect the health or welfare of the patient.

(c) Private enforcement. An employed physician aggrieved by a violation of this Act may seek to obtain an injunction or reinstatement of employment with the employing entity as the court may deem appropriate. Nothing in this Section limits or abrogates any common law cause of action. Nothing in this Section shall be deemed to alter the law of negligence.

(d) Department enforcement. The Department may enforce the provisions of this Section, but nothing in this Section shall require or permit the Department to license, certify, or otherwise investigate the activities of a hospital affiliate not otherwise required to be licensed by the Department.

(e) Retaliation prohibited. No employing entity shall retaliate against any employed physician for requesting a hearing or review under this Section. No action may be taken that affects the ability of a physician to practice during this review, except in circumstances where the medical staff bylaws authorize summary suspension.

(f) Physician collaboration. No employing entity shall adopt or enforce, either formally or informally, any policy, rule, regulation, or practice inconsistent with the provision of adequate collaboration, including medical direction of licensed advanced practice registered nurses or supervision of licensed physician assistants and delegation to other personnel under Section 54.5 of the Medical Practice Act of 1987.

(g) Physician disciplinary actions. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to limit or prohibit the governing body of an employing entity or its medical staff, if any, from taking disciplinary actions against a physician as permitted by law.

(h) Physician review. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prohibit a hospital or hospital affiliate from making a determination not to pay for a particular health care service or to prohibit a medical group, independent practice association, hospital medical staff, or hospital governing body from enforcing reasonable peer review or utilization review protocols or determining whether the employed physician complied with those protocols.

(i) Review. Nothing in this Section may be used or construed to establish that any activity of a hospital or hospital affiliate is subject to review under the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act.

(j) Rules. The Department shall adopt any rules necessary to implement this Section.

(Source: P.A. 100-201, eff. 8-18-17; 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)

(210 ILCS 85/10.9)

Sec. 10.9. Nurse mandated overtime prohibited.

(a) Definitions. As used in this Section:

"Mandated overtime" means work that is required by the hospital in excess of an agreed-to, predetermined work shift. Time spent by nurses required to be available as a condition of employment in specialized units, such as surgical nursing services, shall not be counted or considered in calculating the amount of time worked for the purpose of applying the prohibition against mandated overtime under subsection (b).

"Nurse" means any advanced practice registered nurse, registered professional nurse, or licensed practical nurse, as defined in the Nurse Practice Act, who receives an hourly wage and has direct responsibility to oversee or carry out nursing care. For the purposes of this Section, "advanced practice registered nurse" does not include a certified registered nurse anesthetist who is primarily engaged in performing the duties of a nurse anesthetist.

"Unforeseen emergent circumstance" means (i) any declared national, State, or municipal disaster or other catastrophic event, or any implementation of a hospital's disaster plan, that will substantially affect or increase the need for health care services or (ii) any circumstance in which patient care needs require specialized nursing skills through the completion of a procedure. An "unforeseen emergent circumstance" does not include situations in which the hospital fails to have enough nursing staff to meet the usual and reasonably predictable nursing needs of its patients.

(b) Mandated overtime prohibited. No nurse may be required to work mandated overtime except in the case of an unforeseen emergent circumstance when such overtime is required only as a last resort. Such mandated overtime shall not exceed 4 hours beyond an agreed-to, predetermined work shift.

(c) Off-duty period. When a nurse is mandated to work up to 12 consecutive hours, the nurse must be allowed at least 8 consecutive hours of off-duty time immediately following the completion of a shift.

(d) Retaliation prohibited. No hospital may discipline, discharge, or take any other adverse employment action against a nurse solely because the nurse refused to work mandated overtime as prohibited under subsection (b).

(e) Violations. Any employee of a hospital that is subject to this Act may file a complaint with the Department of Public Health regarding an alleged violation of this Section. The complaint must be filed within 45 days following the occurrence of the incident giving rise to the alleged violation. The Department must forward notification of the alleged violation to the hospital in question within 3 business days after the complaint is filed. Upon receiving a complaint of a violation of this Section, the Department may take any action authorized under Section 7 or 9 of this Act.

(f) Proof of violation. Any violation of this Section must be proved by clear and convincing evidence that a nurse was required to work overtime against his or her will. The hospital may defeat the claim of a violation by presenting clear and convincing evidence that an unforeseen emergent circumstance, which required overtime work, existed at the time the employee was required or compelled to work.

(Source: P.A. 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)

(210 ILCS 85/10.10)

Sec. 10.10. Nurse staffing by patient acuity.

(a) Findings. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) The State of Illinois has a substantial interest in promoting quality care and improving the delivery of health care services.

(2) Evidence-based studies have shown that the basic principles of staffing in the acute care setting should be based on the complexity of patients' care needs aligned with available nursing skills to promote quality patient care consistent with professional nursing standards.

(3) Compliance with this Section promotes an organizational climate that values registered nurses' input in meeting the health care needs of hospital patients.

(b) Definitions. As used in this Section:

"Acuity model" means an assessment tool selected and implemented by a hospital, as recommended by a nursing care committee, that assesses the complexity of patient care needs requiring professional nursing care and skills and aligns patient care needs and nursing skills consistent with professional nursing standards.

"Department" means the Department of Public Health.

"Direct patient care" means care provided by a registered professional nurse with direct responsibility to oversee or carry out medical regimens or nursing care for one or more patients.

"Nursing care committee" means a hospital-wide committee or committees of nurses whose functions, in part or in whole, contribute to the development, recommendation, and review of the hospital's nurse staffing plan established pursuant to subsection (d).

"Registered professional nurse" means a person licensed as a Registered Nurse under the Nurse Practice Act.

"Written staffing plan for nursing care services" means a written plan for the assignment of patient care nursing staff based on multiple nurse and patient considerations that yield minimum staffing levels for inpatient care units and the adopted acuity model aligning patient care needs with nursing skills required for quality patient care consistent with professional nursing standards.

(c) Written staffing plan.

(1) Every hospital shall implement a written hospital-wide staffing plan, prepared by a nursing care committee or committees, that provides for minimum direct care professional registered nurse-to-patient staffing needs for each inpatient care unit, including inpatient emergency departments. If the staffing plan prepared by the nursing care committee is not adopted by the hospital, or if substantial changes are proposed to it, the chief nursing officer shall either: (i) provide a written explanation to the committee of the reasons the plan was not adopted; or (ii) provide a written explanation of any substantial changes made to the proposed plan prior to it being adopted by the hospital. The written hospital-wide staffing plan shall include, but need not be limited to, the following considerations:

(A) The complexity of complete care, assessment on patient admission, volume of patient admissions, discharges and transfers, evaluation of the progress of a patient's problems, ongoing physical assessments, planning for a patient's discharge, assessment after a change in patient condition, and assessment of the need for patient referrals.

(B) The complexity of clinical professional nursing judgment needed to design and implement a patient's nursing care plan, the need for specialized equipment and technology, the skill mix of other personnel providing or supporting direct patient care, and involvement in quality improvement activities, professional preparation, and experience.

(C) Patient acuity and the number of patients for whom care is being provided.

(D) The ongoing assessments of a unit's patient acuity levels and nursing staff needed shall be routinely made by the unit nurse manager or his or her designee.

(E) The identification of additional registered nurses available for direct patient care when patients' unexpected needs exceed the planned workload for direct care staff.

(2) In order to provide staffing flexibility to meet patient needs, every hospital shall identify an acuity model for adjusting the staffing plan for each inpatient care unit.

(2.5) Each hospital shall implement the staffing plan and assign nursing personnel to each inpatient care unit, including inpatient emergency departments, in accordance with the staffing plan.

(A) A registered nurse may report to the nursing care committee any variations where the nurse personnel assignment in an inpatient care unit is not in accordance with the adopted staffing plan and may make a written report to the nursing care committee based on the variations.

(B) Shift-to-shift adjustments in staffing levels required by the staffing plan may be made by the appropriate hospital personnel overseeing inpatient care operations. If a registered nurse in an inpatient care unit objects to a shift-to-shift adjustment, the registered nurse may submit a written report to the nursing care committee.

(C) The nursing care committee shall develop a process to examine and respond to written reports submitted under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this paragraph (2.5), including the ability to determine if a specific written report is resolved or should be dismissed.

(3) The written staffing plan shall be posted, either by physical or electronic means, in a conspicuous and accessible location for both patients and direct care staff, as required under the Hospital Report Card Act. A copy of the written staffing plan shall be provided to any member of the general public upon request.

(d) Nursing care committee.

(1) Every hospital shall have a nursing care committee that meets at least 6 times per year. A hospital shall appoint members of a committee whereby at least 55% of the members are registered professional nurses providing direct inpatient care, one of whom shall be selected annually by the direct inpatient care nurses to serve as co-chair of the committee.

(2) (Blank).

(2.5) A nursing care committee shall prepare and recommend to hospital administration the hospital's written hospital-wide staffing plan. If the staffing plan is not adopted by the hospital, the chief nursing officer shall provide a written statement to the committee prior to a staffing plan being adopted by the hospital that: (A) explains the reasons the committee's proposed staffing plan was not adopted; and (B) describes the changes to the committee's proposed staffing or any alternative to the committee's proposed staffing plan.

(3) A nursing care committee's or committees' written staffing plan for the hospital shall be based on the principles from the staffing components set forth in subsection (c). In particular, a committee or committees shall provide input and feedback on the following:

(A) Selection, implementation, and evaluation of minimum staffing levels for inpatient care units.

(B) Selection, implementation, and evaluation of an acuity model to provide staffing flexibility that aligns changing patient acuity with nursing skills required.

(C) Selection, implementation, and evaluation of a written staffing plan incorporating the items described in subdivisions (c)(1) and (c)(2) of this Section.

(D) Review the nurse staffing plans for all inpatient areas and current acuity tools and measures in use. The nursing care committee's review shall consider:

(i) patient outcomes;

(ii) complaints regarding staffing, including complaints about a delay in direct care nursing or an absence of direct care nursing;

(iii) the number of hours of nursing care provided through an inpatient hospital unit compared with the number of inpatients served by the hospital unit during a 24-hour period;

(iv) the aggregate hours of overtime worked by the nursing staff;

(v) the extent to which actual nurse staffing for each hospital inpatient unit differs from the staffing specified by the staffing plan; and

(vi) any other matter or change to the staffing plan determined by the committee to ensure that the hospital is staffed to meet the health care needs of patients.

(4) A nursing care committee must issue a written report addressing the items described in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (3) semi-annually. A written copy of this report shall be made available to direct inpatient care nurses by making available a paper copy of the report, distributing it electronically, or posting it on the hospital's website.

(5) A nursing care committee must issue a written report at least annually to the hospital governing board that addresses items including, but not limited to: the items described in paragraph (3); changes made based on committee recommendations and the impact of such changes; and recommendations for future changes related to nurse staffing.

(6) A nursing care committee must annually notify the hospital nursing staff of the staff's rights under this Section. The annual notice must provide a phone number and an email address for staff to report noncompliance with the nursing staff's rights as described in this Section. The notice must be provided by email or by regular mail in a manner that effectively facilitates receipt of the notice. The Department shall monitor and enforce the requirements of this paragraph (6).

(e) Nothing in this Section 10.10 shall be construed to limit, alter, or modify any of the terms, conditions, or provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into by the hospital.

(f) No hospital may discipline, discharge, or take any other adverse employment action against an employee solely because the employee expresses a concern or complaint regarding an alleged violation of this Section or concerns related to nurse staffing.

(g) Any employee of a hospital may file a complaint with the Department regarding an alleged violation of this Section. The Department must forward notification of the alleged violation to the hospital in question within 10 business days after the complaint is filed. Upon receiving a complaint of a violation of this Section, the Department may take any action authorized under Section 7 or 9 of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-4, eff. 4-27-21; 102-641, eff. 8-27-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-211, eff. 1-1-24; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24.)

(210 ILCS 85/10.11)

Sec. 10.11. Clinical privileges; physician assistants. No hospital licensed under this Act shall adopt any policy, rule, regulation, or practice inconsistent with the provision of adequate supervision in accordance with Section 54.5 of the Medical Practice Act of 1987 and the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987.

(Source: P.A. 97-1071, eff. 8-24-12.)

(210 ILCS 85/11) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 152)

Sec. 11. No hospital, nor any person connected with any hospital, shall place children for adoption or for care in foster family homes, or shall place children anywhere other than in the custody of their mothers, unless the hospital shall also be licensed as a child welfare agency, pursuant to the "Child Care Act", approved July 10, 1957, as amended, or unless the written consent of the State Department of Children and Family Services be first had and obtained; provided, that any hospital may release children therefrom to a licensed child welfare agency.

(Source: Laws 1965, p. 3668.)

(210 ILCS 85/11.1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 152.1)

Sec. 11.1. No hospital may refuse necessary treatment to a pregnant woman in active labor whose life or safety would be threatened in the absence of such treatment, because she is unable to pay for medical services or because she does not carry medical insurance. After providing services to such woman, the hospital shall obtain payment from the woman or a third party source.

(Source: P.A. 84-929.)

(210 ILCS 85/11.1a)

Sec. 11.1a. Instruments for taking a pregnant woman's blood pressure. Every hospital shall ensure that it has the proper instruments available for taking a pregnant woman's blood pressure. The Department shall adopt rules for the implementation of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 101-91, eff. 1-1-20.)

(210 ILCS 85/11.2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 152.2)

Sec. 11.2. (a) Each hospital licensed under this Act shall allow a recipient of blood to designate a donor of his choice for the purpose of receiving red blood cells, under the following conditions:

(1) The recipient, or someone on his behalf, has solicited the donors;

(2) The designated donor consents to such donation;

(3) The designated donor's blood may be obtained in sufficient time to meet the health care needs of the recipient;

(4) The designated donor is qualified to donate blood under the criteria for donor selection promulgated by the Department of Public Health under the Blood Labeling Act; and

(5) The blood of the donor is acceptable for the patient's medical needs.

(b) Blood donated for such designated use shall be reserved for the designated recipient; however, if it has not been used within 7 days from the day of donation, it may be used for any other medically appropriate purpose.

(c) This Section shall not limit other procedures hospitals may establish to enable directed donations.

(Source: P.A. 86-719.)

(210 ILCS 85/11.3) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 152.3)

Sec. 11.3. No hospital shall require any patient or any member of the patient's family to write or to sign any document during those times when the religious tenets of such person temporarily prohibit him or her from performing the acts of writing or signing. The patient or the member of the patient's family shall agree to supply written information required by the hospital and to sign any necessary documents as soon as the religious tenets of such person no longer prohibit the acts of writing or signing.

(Source: P.A. 85-1209.)

(210 ILCS 85/11.4)

(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 103-948)

Sec. 11.4. Disposition of fetus. A hospital having custody of a fetus following a spontaneous fetal demise occurring after a gestation period of less than 20 completed weeks must notify the mother of her right to arrange for the burial or cremation of the fetus. Notification may also include other options such as, but not limited to, a ceremony, a certificate, or common burial or cremation of fetal tissue. If, within 24 hours after being notified under this Section, the mother elects in writing to arrange for the burial or cremation of the fetus, the disposition of the fetus shall be subject to the same laws and rules that apply in the case of a fetal death that occurs in this State after a gestation period of 20 completed weeks or more. The Department of Public Health shall develop forms to be used for notifications and elections under this Section and hospitals shall provide the forms to the mother.

(Source: P.A. 96-338, eff. 1-1-10.)

(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 103-948)

Sec. 11.4. Disposition of fetus. A hospital having custody of a fetus following a spontaneous fetal demise occurring during or after a gestation period of less than 20 completed weeks must notify the patient of the right to arrange for the burial or cremation of the fetus. Notification may also include other options such as, but not limited to, a ceremony, a certificate, or common burial or cremation of fetal tissue. If, within 24 hours after being notified under this Section, the patient elects in writing to arrange for the burial or cremation of the fetus, the disposition of the fetus shall be subject to the same laws and rules that apply in the case of a fetal death that occurs in this State after a gestation period of 20 completed weeks or more. The Department of Public Health shall develop forms to be used for notifications and elections under this Section and hospitals shall provide the forms to the patient.

(Source: P.A. 103-948, eff. 7-1-25.)

(210 ILCS 85/11.5)

Sec. 11.5. Uniform standards of obstetrical care regardless of ability to pay.

(a) No hospital may promulgate policies or implement practices that determine differing standards of obstetrical care based upon a patient's source of payment or ability to pay for medical services.

(b) Each hospital shall develop a written policy statement reflecting the requirements of subsection (a) and shall post, either by physical or electronic means, written notices of this policy in the obstetrical admitting areas of the hospital by July 1, 2004. Notices posted pursuant to this Section shall be posted in the predominant language or languages spoken in the hospital's service area.

(Source: P.A. 102-4, eff. 4-27-21.)

(210 ILCS 85/11.6)

Sec. 11.6. Policy and procedure for patient bathroom door locks. Hospitals shall have policies and procedures for readily gaining access to a locked bathroom in a patient's room.

(Source: P.A. 96-925, eff. 1-1-11; 97-333, eff. 8-12-11.)

(210 ILCS 85/11.7)

Sec. 11.7. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Education.

(a) A hospital shall provide, free of charge, information and instructional materials regarding sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), explaining the medical effects upon infants and young children and emphasizing measures that may reduce the risk. The materials shall include information concerning safe sleep environments developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics or a statewide or nationally recognized SIDS or medical association.

(b) The information and materials described in subsection (a) shall be provided to parents or legal guardians of each newborn, upon discharge from the hospital. Prior to discharge, a nurse or appropriate staff person shall review the proffered materials with the infant's parents or legal guardian and shall discuss best practices to reduce the incidence of SIDS as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

(c) Nothing in this Section prohibits a hospital from obtaining free and suitable information from a public or private agency.

(Source: P.A. 99-48, eff. 7-15-15.)

(210 ILCS 85/11.8)

Sec. 11.8. Closed captioning required. A hospital licensed under this Act must make reasonable efforts to have activated at all times the closed captioning feature on a television in a common area provided for use by the general public or in a patient's room, or enable the closed captioning feature when requested to do so by a member of the general public or a patient, if the television includes a closed captioning feature.

It is not a violation of this Section if the closed captioning feature is deactivated by a member of the hospital's staff after such feature is enabled in a common area or in a patient's room unless the deactivation of the closed captioning feature is knowing or intentional. It is not a violation of this Section if the closed captioning feature is deactivated by a member of the general public, a patient, or a member of the hospital's staff at the request of a patient of a hospital licensed under this Act.

If a hospital licensed under this Act does not have a television that includes a closed captioning feature, then the hospital must ensure that all televisions obtained for common areas and patient rooms after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly include a closed captioning feature. This Section does not affect any other provision of law relating to disability discrimination or providing reasonable accommodations or diminish the rights of a person with a disability under any other law.

As used in this Section, "closed captioning" means a text display of spoken words presented on a television that allows a deaf or hard of hearing viewer to follow the dialogue and the action of a program simultaneously.

(Source: P.A. 101-116, eff. 1-1-20.)

(210 ILCS 85/11.9)

(Text of Section from P.A. 103-605)

Sec. 11.9. Maternal milk donation education.

(a) To ensure an adequate supply of pasteurized donor human milk for premature infants in Illinois, a hospital with licensed obstetric beds shall provide information and instructional materials to parents of each newborn, upon discharge from the hospital, regarding the option to voluntarily donate milk to nonprofit milk banks that are accredited by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America or its successor organization. The materials shall be provided free of charge and shall include general information regarding nonprofit milk banking practices and contact information for area nonprofit milk banks that are accredited by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America.

(b) The information and instructional materials described in subsection (a) may be provided electronically.

(c) Nothing in this Section prohibits a hospital from obtaining free and suitable information on voluntary milk donation from the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, its successor organization, or its accredited members.

(Source: P.A. 103-160, eff. 1-1-24; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24.)

(Text of Section from P.A. 103-948)

(This Section may contain text from a Public Act with a delayed effective date)

Sec. 11.9. Certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth; notification. This Section may be referred to as Liam's Law.

A hospital having custody of a fetus following a spontaneous fetal death occurring during or after a gestation period of at least 20 completed weeks must notify the gestational parent of the parent's right to receive a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth as described in Section 20.5 of the Vital Records Act. The Department of Public Health shall develop language on a form to be used for notification under this Section and hospitals shall provide the form to the gestational parent. This section of language shall be known as a "Liam's Law notice". The "Liam's Law notice" shall be available in both English and Spanish.

(Source: P.A. 103-948, eff. 7-1-25.)

(210 ILCS 85/12) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 153)

Sec. 12. The Department shall prepare an annual report of its activities and operations under this Act.

(Source: Laws 1953, p. 811.)

(210 ILCS 85/13) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 154)

Sec. 13. Whenever the Department refuses to grant, or revokes or suspends a permit to establish a hospital, or a license to open, conduct, operate, or maintain a hospital, the applicant or licensee may have such decision judicially reviewed. The provisions of the Administrative Review Law, as heretofore or hereafter amended, and the rules adopted pursuant thereto shall apply to and govern all proceedings for the judicial review of final administrative decisions of the Department hereunder. The term "administrative decisions" is defined as in Section 3-101 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(Source: P.A. 82-783.)

(210 ILCS 85/14) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 155)

Sec. 14. Any person establishing a hospital without a permit issued pursuant to this Act, or any person opening, conducting, operating or maintaining any hospital without a license issued pursuant to this Act shall be guilty of a petty offense, and each day of a continuing violation after conviction shall be considered a separate offense. The State's Attorneys of the several counties shall represent the People of the State of Illinois in proceedings under this Act in their respective counties.

(Source: P.A. 77-2576.)

(210 ILCS 85/14.5)

Sec. 14.5. Hospital Licensure Fund.

(a) There is created in the State treasury the Hospital Licensure Fund. The Fund is created for the purpose of providing funding for the administration of the licensure program and patient safety and quality initiatives for hospitals, including, without limitation, the implementation of the Illinois Adverse Health Care Events Reporting Law of 2005.

(b) The Fund shall consist of the following:

(1) fees collected pursuant to Sections 5 and 7 of this Act;

(2) federal matching funds received by the State as a result of expenditures made by the Department that are attributable to moneys deposited in the Fund;

(3) interest earned on moneys deposited in the Fund; and

(4) other moneys received for the Fund from any other source, including interest earned thereon.

(c) Disbursements from the Fund shall be made only for:

(1) initially, the implementation of the Illinois Adverse Health Care Events Reporting Law of 2005;

(2) subsequently, programs, information, or assistance, including measures to address public complaints, designed to measurably improve quality and patient safety;

(2.5) from fines for violations of Section 10.10, scholarships under the Nursing Education Scholarship Law; and

(3) the reimbursement of moneys collected by the Department through error or mistake.

(d) The uses described in paragraph (2) of subsection (c) shall be developed in conjunction with a statewide organization representing a majority of hospitals.

(Source: P.A. 102-641, eff. 8-27-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)

(210 ILCS 85/15) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 156)

Sec. 15. Notwithstanding the existence or pursuit of any other remedy, the Director may, in the manner provided by law, upon the advice of the Attorney General who shall represent the Director in the proceedings, maintain an action in the name of the State for injunction or other process against any person or governmental unit to restrain or prevent the establishment of a hospital without a permit issued pursuant to this Act, or to restrain or prevent the opening, conducting, operating, or maintaining of a hospital without a license issued pursuant to this Act.

(Source: Laws 1965, p. 2350.)

(210 ILCS 85/16) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 157)

Sec. 16. If any provision of this Act or the application thereof to any person or circumstance shall be held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the provisions or application of this Act which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of the Act are declared to be severable.

(Source: Laws 1953, p. 811.)