HB 2450 -- Patient Safety

Sponsor:  Page

This bill requires each licensed hospital to create a nursing
advisory board to establish and implement a standardized
acuity-based patient classification system within six months of
the bill's effective date for each direct-care unit in the
hospital.  The Department of Health and Senior Services is
required to establish, monitor, and manage each advisory board.

Minimum direct-care registered nurse-to-patient ratios are
specified for various units within a hospital.  As a condition of
licensing, each hospital must annually submit to the department a
prospective staffing plan which is sufficient to meet the
specified ratios and certify that the staffing plan is being
followed.

The department can suspend or revoke any hospital license for
failure to comply with an order of noncompliance.  A person or
entity that falsifies a document that is required to be filed
with the department under the provisions of the bill will be
guilty of a class C misdemeanor.  Hospitals can be fined up to
$25,000 per violation for failing to follow a daily written nurse
staffing plan.  The fines collected will be deposited into the
Health Initiatives Fund to provide moneys to any state school of
nursing to increase faculty, grant scholarships, or assist
licensed practical nurses in becoming registered nurses.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:12 pm