Full Text of HR0565

HR0565 LRB104 15968 ECR 29210 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Interventional cardiologists, radiologists, and other health care professionals in Illinois are routinely exposed to scatter radiation during fluoroscopically guided procedures, and they have long relied on heavy lead aprons for personal protection; and

WHEREAS, Decades of reliance on wearable lead aprons have caused a substantial burden of occupational injury, including chronic back pain, spinal disc disease, joint degeneration, and other serious orthopedic conditions that shorten careers and diminish quality of life for health professionals; and

WHEREAS, It is estimated that between 10,000 and 12,000 Illinois health care professionals, including physicians, nurses, and technologists, are required to wear lead aprons in cardiac catheterization laboratories and interventional suites on a routine basis, placing a large segment of the health workforce at risk of such preventable injuries; and

WHEREAS, Current law in Illinois Administrative Code Title 32 Part 360 requires wearable protective garments as the standard shielding for fluoroscopic procedures, which has the effect of prohibiting hospitals and facilities from adopting fully "lead-free" interventional labs; and

WHEREAS, New technology, known as Enhanced Radiation Protection Systems (ERPS), provides non-wearable, externally mounted radiation shielding that meets or exceeds the protective equivalent of 0.5 millimeters of lead under clinical use conditions while eliminating the long-term orthopedic hazards associated with wearable lead garments; and

WHEREAS, Modernizing protective garment regulations to allow the use of ERPS as an equivalent protective option would permit Illinois facilities to implement lead-free labs while maintaining or exceeding existing levels of radiation protection without eliminating safety standards; and

WHEREAS, Several states, including Michigan, Colorado, and Florida, have recently updated their medical radiation protection regulations to provide a regulatory pathway for ERPS adoption; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (IL-ACC) formally requested in a July letter to IEMA-OHS to amend Part 360 in order to establish a clear approval process for ERPS, supported by manufacturer data, peer-reviewed studies, and facility-specific safety protocols; and

WHEREAS, Other organizations that are members of the Modern Radiation Policy Alliance, including the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions and the Illinois Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, support the inclusion of the amendments to allow for ERPS; and

WHEREAS, Protecting the health and longevity of Illinois' frontline cardiovascular and interventional specialists is critical in ensuring that patients across the State continue to have access to life-saving procedures, and reducing preventable workplace injuries will strengthen our health care workforce at a time of increasing demand; and

WHEREAS, Updating Illinois' rules to accommodate ERPS will better protect health care professionals, reduce workplace injuries, and align Illinois' standards with peer jurisdictions while preserving the core mission of patient safety; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we strongly urge the Illinois Emergency Management Agency - Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS) to heed the petition and comments submitted by the Illinois Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (IL-ACC) and supported by the Modern Radiation Policy Alliance and to promulgate rules establishing a pathway for the approval and safe use of Enhanced Radiation Protection Systems (ERPS) in Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the Acting Director of IEMA-OHS, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, and the Governor of the State of Illinois.