Nevada Legislators Propose Tougher Health Care Regulations

Steve Klearman

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A year after procedures involving the reuse of syringes at the Endoscopy Center of Nevada led to a hepatitis C outbreak, Nevada legislators have proposed new regulations to require higher standards in Nevada health care.

The Las Vegas Sun reports that the pending legislation would:

• Require outpatient surgery centers like the one that caused the outbreak to obtain accreditation by a nationally recognized organization.

• Require physicians and their related businesses and centers to obtain accreditation before providing certain services involving anesthesia and sedation.

• Allow public agencies to investigate suspected infectious disease problems and to issue cease and desist orders if necessary.

• Ban retaliation and discrimination against nurses who report unsafe medical practices.

• Sanction medical facilities that fail to report “sentinel events” — those unexpected occurrences involving death or serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk of such outcomes.