Resolve, Requiring Rulemaking by the Maine Quality Forum Regarding Clostridium Difficile and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0960
Committee Amendment CA_A_H280 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A " to H.P. 662, L.D. 960, "Resolve, Requiring 
Rulemaking by the Maine Quality Forum Regarding Clostridium Difficile and 
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus" 
Amend the resolve by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'Resolve, Requiring Rulemaking by the Maine Health Data Organization in 
Consultation with the Maine Quality Forum Regarding Clostridium Difficile and 
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus' 
Amend the resolve by striking out all of section 1 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. Rules. Resolved: That, by January 1, 2010, the Maine Health Data 
Organization in consultation with the Maine Quality Forum shall adopt rules regarding 
public reporting by hospitals on issues regarding methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus 
aureus and Clostridium difficile to include: 
1. 
Reporting on the hospital's adoption of a multiple drug-resistant organism 
prevention program as part of the hospital's broader health-care-associated infection 
prevention strategies, includ ing hand hygiene, contact precautions that include barriers as 
appropriate, isolation policies, design of a response to increases in infection rates and 
environmental precautions; and 
2. 
Reporting on the hospital's quarterly submission to the Maine Health Data 
Organization of the number of patients at high risk for methicillin-resistant 
Staphylococcus aureus and the number of these patients surveilled in the hospital's 
targeted survei lIance of high-risk populations. 
The rules must include a definition of "high risk" and the components of a targeted 
surveillance program that follow the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
guidelines and are determined by the Maine Quality Forum in consultation with the 
Maine Infection Prevention Collaborative by October I, 2009. 
The Maine Quality Forum, in conjunction with members of a statewide collaborative 
group of infection prevention specialists, a representative of a statewide organization 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMIITEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 662, L.D. 960 
representing nurses and a person representing consumers, shall design metrics for 
assessment of reporting functions and establish performance measures, which must be 
posted on the Maine Quality Forum's publicly accessible website, and include the 
performance measure data in the annual Maine Quality Forum report to the Legislature 
required by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 24-A, section 6951, subsection 10. 
Rules adopted pursuant to this section are major substantive rules as defined in the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the resolve and directs the Maine Health Data Organization 
in consultation with the Maine Quality Forum to adopt rules to require that each hospital 
publicly report on the adoption of a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and 
Clostridium difficile prevention program and the number of patients at high risk for 
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus surveilled in the hospital's targeted 
surveillance of high-risk populations. It requires the Maine Quality Forum, with input 
from stakeholders, to design metrics for assessing these reporting functions and to 
establish performance measures, which must be posted on the Maine Quality Forum's 
website and included in its annual report to the Legislature. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRE}) 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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Approved: 04/17/09 frac. 
LD960 
LR 1809(02) 
Resolve, Requiring Rulemaking by the Maine Quality Forum Regarding Clostridium Difficile and 
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ';Li" 
Committee: Health and Human Services 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Additional rulemaking and implementation costs to the Maine Health Data Organization and the Maine Quality Forum 
in the Dirigo Health Agency can be absorbed utilizing existing budgeted resources. 
LRI809(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1