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2020 SESSION

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SB 903 Hospitals; screening emergency department patients, etc.

Introduced by: Jill Holtzman Vogel | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED SENATE:

Hospitals; emergency treatment for substance use-related emergencies; services. Requires the Board of Health to amend regulations governing hospitals to require each hospital with an emergency department to establish a protocol for treatment of individuals experiencing a substance use-related emergency to include the completion of appropriate assessments or screenings to identify medical interventions necessary for the treatment of the individual in the emergency department. The protocol may also include a process for patients that are discharged directly from the emergency department for the recommendation of follow-up care following discharge for any identified substance use disorder, depression, or mental health disorder, as appropriate, which may include instructions for distribution of naloxone, referrals to peer recovery specialists and community-based providers of behavioral health services, or referrals for pharmacotherapy for treatment of drug or alcohol dependence or mental health diagnoses.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Hospitals; emergency treatment for substance use-related emergencies; services. Requires the Board of Health to amend regulations governing hospitals to require each hospital that provides emergency treatment to an individual experiencing a substance use-related emergency to (i) complete a comprehensive assessment to identify appropriate medical interventions necessary for the treatment of the individual; (ii) complete a comprehensive behavioral health assessment to determine whether additional treatment may be appropriate; (iii) initiate pharmacotherapy for treatment of drug or alcohol dependence, where appropriate; and (iv) provide the patient with naloxone or other opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal. Such regulations shall also require each hospital that provides emergency treatment to an individual experiencing a substance use-related emergency to establish and implement a protocol for connecting such patients receiving emergency treatment with appropriate community-based providers of behavioral health services upon discharge.