(a) As used in this section and section 19a-490o:

(1) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Public Health;

(2) “Department” means the Department of Public Health;

(3) “Health care setting” means any location where health care is provided by a licensed health care professional;

(4) “Health care facility” means an institution licensed under this chapter; and

(5) “Health care associated infection” means any localized or systemic condition resulting from an adverse reaction to the presence of an infectious agent or its toxin that (A) occurs in a patient in a health care facility, and (B) was not found to be present or incubating at the time of admission unless the infection was related to a previous admission to the same health care facility.

(b) There is established an Advisory Committee on Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance for purposes of advising the Department of Public Health on issues related to health care associated infections. The advisory committee shall consist of the commissioner or the commissioner's designee, and the following members appointed by the commissioner: Two members representing the Connecticut Hospital Association; two members representing outpatient hemodialysis centers; two members representing long-term acute care hospitals; two members representing nursing home facilities; two members representing surgical facilities; two members from organizations representing health care consumers; two members who are either hospital-based infectious disease specialists or epidemiologists with demonstrated knowledge and competence in infectious disease related issues; one representative of the Connecticut State Medical Society; one representative of the Connecticut Infectious Disease Society; one representative of a clinical microbiology laboratory; one representative of a labor organization representing hospital based nurses; and two public members.

(c) Upon the request of the commissioner, the Advisory Committee on Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance may meet to:

(1) Advise the department with respect to the operation and monitoring of the mandatory reporting system for healthcare associated infections and antimicrobial resistance; and

(2) Identify, evaluate and recommend to the department appropriate standardized measures, including aggregate and health care facility specific reporting measures for healthcare associated infections and antimicrobial resistance and processes designed to prevent healthcare associated infections and antimicrobial resistance in any health care setting deemed appropriate by the committee. Each such recommended measure shall, to the extent applicable to the type of measure being considered, be (A) capable of being validated, (B) based upon nationally recognized and recommended standards, to the extent such standards exist, (C) based upon competent and reliable scientific evidence, (D) protective of practitioner information and information concerning individual patients, and (E) capable of being used and easily understood by consumers.

(P.A. 06-142, S. 1; P.A. 10-117, S. 2; P.A. 18-168, S. 12.)

History: P.A. 06-142 effective June 6, 2006; P.A. 10-117 amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) by substituting “Advisory Committee on Healthcare Associated Infections” for “Committee on Healthcare Associated Infections” and, in Subsec. (c), by removing “On or before April 1, 2007,”; P.A. 18-168 substantially amended provisions including by adding reference to Sec. 19a-490o, designating definition of “commissioner” as new Subdiv. (1), designating definition of “department” as new Subdiv. (2), designating definition of “health care associated infection” as Subdiv. (5), adding new Subdiv. (3) re definition of “health care setting”, and adding Subdiv. (4) re definition of “health care facility”, redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) and (2) as Subparas. (A) and (B), and deleting former Subdiv. (3) re setting is hospital and criteria for specific infection site is met in Subsec. (a), adding provision re Antimicrobial Resistance, and adding members in Subsec. (b), adding provision re request of commissioner, adding reference to Antimicrobial Resistance, replacing “shall” with “may” and deleting former Subdiv. (3) re methods for increasing public awareness about effective measures to reduce spread of infections in Subsec. (c), and making technical and conforming changes.