SB5105: Nursing homes; outbreaks of communicable disease, posting of information.
SENATE BILL NO. 5105
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 32.1-41 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 32.1-37.01 as follows:
§ 32.1-37.01. Posting of information about outbreaks of communicable diseases at nursing homes.
The Department shall make available to the public on a website maintained by the Department information regarding outbreaks of any communicable disease required by the Board to be reported at nursing homes in the Commonwealth. Such information shall include (i) the name of each nursing home at which such outbreak has been reported, (ii) the total number of confirmed cases of such communicable disease among the patients of the nursing home, and (iii) the total number of confirmed cases of such communicable disease among the staff of the nursing home.
§ 32.1-41. Anonymity of patients and practitioners to be preserved in use of medical records.
The Commissioner or his designee shall preserve the anonymity of each patient and practitioner of the healing arts whose records are examined pursuant to § 32.1-40 except that the Commissioner, in his sole discretion, may divulge the identity of such patients and practitioners if pertinent to an investigation, research or study. Any person to whom such identities are divulged shall preserve their anonymity.
Nothing in this section shall prohibit the release of information about outbreaks of a communicable disease at nursing homes in the Commonwealth in accordance with § 32.1-37.01.