Clinics and hospitals can no longer require all visitors, patients and employees to wear masks under two emergency regulations announced by the government. Ron DeSantis.
The Health Care Administration Authority (AHCA) has announced two emergency regulations (59ER23-01 and 59ER23-2) On July 3, we clarified the do’s and don’ts of when face coverings are required in medical settings and the opt-out requirements that must be provided.
Licensed healthcare providers and practitioners who require masks or face coverings have until August 1 to develop policies that align with the requirements of the emergency rules.
Patients are only required to wear masks if they are in common areas of a healthcare setting and have signs or symptoms or have been diagnosed with an infection that can be spread by droplet or airborne transmission.
Visitors are also required to wear a mask when heading into a sterile area of the facility or when visiting a patient diagnosed with an infectious disease or suffering from a condition that affects the underlying immune system. there is.
Healthcare providers and workers who require masks must offer their patients, visitors, and employees to “opt-out.”
Opt-out provisions vary from situation to situation.
For example, provision of an opt-out policy for patients is a so-called Florida Patient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. The law, first passed in 1991, provides that: “Patients are responsible for complying with the rules and regulations of their healthcare facility that affect patient care and behavior.”
Healthcare providers that require visitors to wear face coverings should include an opt-out provision in their policies when alternative methods of infection control or infection prevention are available.
Opt-out provisions for employees are broader, allowing employees to refrain from performing aseptic procedures, working in sterile areas, working with immunocompromised patients, or when healthcare workers work with infected patients. You can opt out of wearing a mask, except: Patients are considered to be at risk of infection from asymptomatic employees, so we determined that the use of masks was necessary for patient safety.
The Emergency Regulations are issued by AHCA and were developed in collaboration with the Florida Department of Health (DOH). Government agencies have had to develop regulations as part of: SB252, The bill passed during the 2023 session and was signed by DeSantis in May.
SB 252, sponsored by Senators. Colleen Burtonblocked the sunset of a number of bans passed by Congress banning mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations and mask-wearing in schools.
Hospitals and health care providers that violate the new law will be subject to disciplinary action by the AHCA, which regulates health care facilities, or regulatory boards such as the Medical Commission and the Osteopathic Medicine Commission.
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