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2018 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Education and Health
Subcommittee Health Professions

Dunnavant (Chairman), Suetterlein, Carrico, Barker, Lucas, Peake

Staff: Thomas Stevens
Date of Meeting: February 27, 2018
Time and Place: 8:30 a.m. - Senate Subcommittee Room 2, 5th Floor

H.B. 541

Patron: Freitas

Alternative treatment options for certain veterans; report. Directs the Department of Veterans Services to consider the efficacy of alternative treatments available for the treatment of traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder and report its findings and conclusions to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education and Health. The bill defines "alternative treatment" as a therapeutic service that (i) is not part of the standard of medical care established by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for treating traumatic brain injury or posttraumatic stress disorder but has been shown by at least one scientific or medical peer-reviewed study to have some positive effect on traumatic brain injury or posttraumatic stress disorder and (ii) is provided at the direction and under the supervision of an individual licensed by the Board of Medicine, Nursing, Counseling, Psychology, or Social Work.

H.B. 886

Patron: Stolle

Admissions for mental health treatment; toxicology. Requires the Board of Health to include in regulations governing hospitals a provision that requires every hospital that provides inpatient psychiatric services to establish a protocol that requires, for every refusal to admit a patient for whom there is a question of medical stability or medical appropriateness for admission due to toxicology results, the on-call physician in the psychiatric unit to which the patient is sought to be transferred to participate in direct verbal communication, either in person or via telephone, with a clinical toxicologist or other person who is a Certified Specialist in Poison Information employed by a poison control center that is accredited by the American Association of Poison Control Centers to review the results of the toxicology screen and determine whether a medical reason for refusing admission to the psychiatric unit related to the results of the toxicology screen exists, if requested to do so by the referring physician.  

H.B. 1054

Patron: Herring

Prescription requirements; treatment of sexually transmitted disease. Allows a practitioner employed by the Department of Health to prescribe antibiotic therapy to the sexual partner of a patient diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease without the physical examination normally required. The bill also requires the Commissioner of Health to convene a workgroup consisting of Department of Health staff and private practitioners to evaluate services provided by the Department of Health pursuant to the bill and to make appropriate recommendations for the use of expedited partner therapy in Virginia. The Commissioner shall report to the Secretary of Health and Human Resources concerning his findings and recommendations by July 1, 2019. The bill contains organizational and technical amendments. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2020.

H.B. 1524

Patron: Ingram

Board of Medicine; regulations related to retention of patient records; time.  Provides that any health care provider that provides professional services in a family medical practice with locations in the Cities of Colonial Heights and Hopewell that has provided health care services since 1955 and currently maintains all records created since May 2006 in electronic format and all records of current patients created prior to May 2006 in paper format may destroy paper versions of records created prior to May 2006 other than paper records of patients who have not yet reached the age of 18 and shall not be subject to disciplinary action for such action. Paper records of patients who have not yet reached the age of 18 shall be maintained until such time as the patient reaches the age of 18.