Senate Committee on Health and Human Services (02/25/2009)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Date:	02/25/2009	ATTENDANCE

Time:	10:42 AM to 11:50 AM	Carroll M.	X
		Lundberg	X
Place:	SCR 356	Mitchell	X
		Morse	X
This Meeting was called to order by		Newell	*
	Senator Boyd	Schultheis	*
		Tochtrop	*
This Report was prepared by		Boyd	X
	Elizabeth Burger
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
Conf 09-State Board of Nursing Conf 09-Colorado Commission on the Aging HB09-1004 HB09-1023 HB09-1025		Favorably Refer to the Full Senate Favorably Refer to the Full Senate Referred to the Committee of the Whole Referred to the Committee of the Whole Referred to the Committee of the Whole

10:43 AM

Deborah Archuleta, appointee to the State Board of Nursing, discussed her background and interest in serving on the board. A copy of her appointment letter can be found in Attachment A. Her application and resume is available at the State Archives.

(Attachment A can be viewed at State Archives)


BILL:	Conf 09-State Board of Nursing
TIME:	10:45:29 AM
MOVED:	Tochtrop
MOTION:	Favorably refer the appointment of Deborah Archuleta to the State Board of Nursing to the full Senate for confirmation. The motion passed on a 7-0 roll call vote, with one member excused.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Carroll M.	Yes
	Lundberg	Yes
	Mitchell	Yes
	Morse	Yes
	Newell	Yes
	Schultheis	Excused
	Tochtrop	Yes
	Boyd	Yes

Final YES: 7 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

10:46 AM

Debera K. Stewart, Sheila Casey, Stephen M. Bender, Gretchen G. Cerveny, Mark N. Shelton, and Dr. Karyn P. Leible, appointees to the Colorado Commission on the Aging, described their backgrounds and interest in serving on the board. A copy of their appointment letter can be found in Attachment B. Their applications and resumes are available at State Archives.

(Attachment B can be viewed at State Archives)


BILL:	Conf 09-Colorado Commission on the Aging
TIME:	11:01:40 AM
MOVED:	Tochtrop
MOTION:	Favorably refer the appointments of Debera K. Stewart, Sheila Casey, Stephen M. Bender, Gretchen G. Cerveny, Mark N. Shelton, and Dr. Karyn P. Leible to the Colorado Commission on the Aging to the full Senate for confirmation. The motion passed on an 8-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Carroll M.	Yes
	Lundberg	Yes
	Mitchell	Yes
	Morse	Yes
	Newell	Yes
	Schultheis	Yes
	Tochtrop	Yes
	Boyd	Yes

Final YES: 8 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

11:02 AM -- House Bill 09-1004

Senator Boyd introduced House Bill 09-1004. The bill allows an organization providing a program of all-inclusive care for the elderly (PACE organization) to employ a physician as long as the organization complies with certain requirements.

11:04 AM -- Maureen Hewitt, Chief Executive Officer, Total Long Term Care, described the PACE program.

11:06 AM -- Dr. Lee Anneberg, Board Chairman of Total Long Term Care, testified that PACE programs cannot directly hire physicians and this causes difficulties in recruiting and retaining physicians for the programs. He stated that allow physicians to be employed by the programs will allow the programs to offer benefits, like health insurance, to the physicians. He distributed a letter in support of House Bill 09-1004 (Attachments C). Dr Anneberg responded to questions from Senator Mitchell regarding potentially creating a framework to allow various entities to employ health care providers.

11:13 AM

Senator Boyd gave concluding remarks regarding the bill. Senator Mitchell and Senator Boyd discussed whether the legislature should explore a more comprehensive approach to allow certain facilities to employ health care providers.


BILL:	HB09-1004
TIME:	11:14:14 AM
MOVED:	Boyd
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 09-1004 to the Committee of the Whole with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. The motion passed on an 8-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Carroll M.	Yes
	Lundberg	Yes
	Mitchell	Yes
	Morse	Yes
	Newell	Yes
	Schultheis	Yes
	Tochtrop	Yes
	Boyd	Yes

Final YES: 8 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

11:16 AM -- House Bill 09-1023

Senator Boyd introduced House Bill 09-1023. The bill authorizes a minor who is at least 16 years of age to donate blood with the consent of the minor's parents.

11:17 AM -- Jessica Maitland, Bonfils Blood Center, described the services provided by Bonfils Blood Center. She stated that the state hasn't experienced a major shortage of blood in many years, but there is an increased need for donors as the state's population ages. She stated that lowering the age for eligible donors will help to expand the base of potential blood donors. She spoke to the importance of high school blood donation drives. She stated that 28 states have passed similar legislation, and those states have experienced an increase in the blood supply. She responded to questions from Senator Carroll regarding why the bill is necessary if high school blood drives are already occurring, responding that the bill will lower the age of people who can donate with consent from 17 to 16 years of age. She further responded to questions from Senator Mitchell regarding cases in which HIV and AIDS has been transmitted through the blood supply, and from Senator Lundberg regarding protections in place for blood donations by minors.

11:31 AM -- Mark Hamouz, representing himself, testified regarding his experiences as a blood donor. He stated that parents can help promote blood donation to their children.


BILL:	HB09-1023
TIME:	11:34:52 AM
MOVED:	Boyd
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 09-1023 to the Committee of the Whole with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. The motion passed on an 8-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Carroll M.	Yes
	Lundberg	Yes
	Mitchell	Yes
	Morse	Yes
	Newell	Yes
	Schultheis	Yes
	Tochtrop	Yes
	Boyd	Yes

Final YES: 8 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

11:36 AM -- House Bill 09-1025

Senator Boyd introduced House Bill 09-1025. The bill exempts ambulatory surgical centers and certified dialysis treatment centers from the requirement that an individual who collects data on hospital-acquired infection rates be nationally certified. She explained that the current statute exempts hospitals with 50 or fewer beds from the requirement, and that ambulatory surgical centers are seeking the same exemption due to their size. A handout concerning the bill was distributed to the committee (Attachment D).

11:37 AM -- Debbie Teetzel, Colorado Association of Ambulatory Surgical Centers, explained that ambulatory surgery centers are willing to comply with the infection reporting requirements, and that the centers have very low rates of hospital-acquired infection rates. She noted that a certified infection control nurse could not maintain his or her certification if the nurse was employed by an ambulatory surgical center because of the small size of the facility, and therefore, it would be unlikely that an ambulatory surgery center could hire a nurse with the appropriate certification. Ms. Teetzel responded to questions from Senator Carroll regarding how the surgery centers track and maintain data on hospital-acquired infections.


BILL:	HB09-1025
TIME:	11:48:20 AM
MOVED:	Boyd
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 09-1025 to the Committee of the Whole with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. The motion passed on an 7-0 roll call vote, with one member excused.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Carroll M.	Yes
	Lundberg	Excused
	Mitchell	Yes
	Morse	Yes
	Newell	Yes
	Schultheis	Yes
	Tochtrop	Yes
	Boyd	Yes

Final YES: 7 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

11:49 AM

The committee recessed.