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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT:
Roseann R. Cadau |
State Rep. Tony DeLuca |
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Governor signs DeLuca groundbreaking initiative to monitor health-care associated infections at medical facilities
HARRISBURG, July 20 – State Rep. Tony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, said he is pleased that Gov. Ed Rendell signed the DeLuca/Erickson legislation that is designed to reduce the rate of acquired health-care associated infections people can get at medical facilities and hospitals in Pennsylvania.
The legislation (S.B. 968) that was signed into law today is a bipartisan effort by DeLuca and state Sen. Edwin Erickson, R-Delaware.
The governor signed the bill during a ceremony at the University Of Pennsylvania School of Nursing – the same site where he initially announced the “Prescription for Pennsylvania” health-care reform plan in January.
“I give Governor Rendell a lot of credit for implementing an aggressive health-care reform agenda so that Pennsylvanians will be better protected from deadly health-care acquired infections,” DeLuca said. “People shouldn’t get sicker instead of getting better while hospitalized.”
DeLuca attended the ceremony via teleconference from a medical facility in Pittsburgh.
“The legislation that was signed by the governor will place Pennsylvania in the forefront nationally in the fight to reduce health-care associated infections at medical facilities,” DeLuca stated.
DeLuca, chairman of the House Insurance Committee, has held hearings across the state this year to hear testimony on his proposal. He said the public was in favor of a plan which would place benchmarks on health-care providers to allow the Pennsylvania Department of Health to determine the progress that medical facilities are making to decrease incidents of patient infections.
Other bills signed by the governor today include measures to allow certified registered nurse practitioners, dental hygienists, certified nurse midwives and certified physician assistants to practice to the full extent of their education and training.
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