166 Sexual assault victim emergency services regulation; listing of hospitals that may not provide emergency contraception and hospitals that may not provide any sexual assault emergency services

Sexual Assault Victim Emergency Services Regulation; Listing of Hospitals that may not Provide Emergency Contraception and Hospitals that may not Provide Any Sexual Assault Emergency Services

[46 Pa.B. 627]
[Saturday, January 30, 2016]

 The Department of Health (Department) published final-form sexual assault victim emergency services regulations at 38 Pa.B. 573 (January 26, 2008). The sexual assault victim emergency services regulations became effective on January 26, 2008, and amended 28 Pa. Code Part IV, Subpart B (relating to general and special hospitals) to add specific requirements for hospitals relating to the provision of sexual assault emergency services. See 28 Pa. Code §§ 117.51—117.58 (relating to sexual assault victim emergency services).

 Hospitals that decide they may not provide emergency contraception due to a stated religious or moral belief contrary to providing this medication are required to give notice to the Department of the decision. See 28 Pa. Code § 117.57 (relating to religious and moral exemptions). Hospitals that refer all emergency patients to other hospitals after institution of essential life-saving measures and decide not to provide any sexual assault emergency services are required to give notice to the Department of the decision. See 28 Pa. Code § 117.58 (relating to exemption for hospitals providing limited emergency services).

 Sections 117.57(1)(ii) and 117.58(1)(ii) of 28 Pa. Code state that the Department will annually publish the lists of hospitals in the Pennsylvania Bulletin that have chosen not to provide emergency contraception under 28 Pa. Code § 117.57 or any sexual assault emergency services under 28 Pa. Code § 117.58. The following lists are published in accordance with those provisions and do not create any new obligations for hospitals or relieve hospitals of any existing obligations.

Hospitals that may not Provide Emergency Contraception

 Under 28 Pa. Code § 117.57(1)(ii), the Department publishes the following list of hospitals that have provided notice to the Department that the hospital may not provide emergency contraception due to a stated religious or moral belief:

Hospital Name	City, Zip Code
Holy Spirit Hospital	Camp Hill, 17011
Jersey Shore Hospital	Jersey Shore, 17740
Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital	Darby, 19023
Mercy Philadelphia Hospital	Philadelphia, 19143
Mercy Suburban Hospital	Norristown, 19401
Millcreek Community Hospital	Erie, 16509
Muncy Valley Hospital	Muncy, 17756
Nazareth Hospital	Philadelphia, 19152
Physicians Care Surgical Hospital	Royersford, 19468
Regional Hospital of Scranton	Scranton, 18501
St. Joseph Medical Center	Reading, 19603
St. Mary Medical Center	Langhorne, 19047
UPMC Mercy Hospital	Pittsburgh, 15219
Williamsport Regional Medical  Center	Williamsport, 17701

Hospitals that may not Provide any Sexual Assault Emergency Services

 Under 28 Pa. Code § 117.58(1)(ii), the Department publishes the following list of hospitals that have provided notice to the Department that the hospital may not provide any sexual assault emergency services due to the limited services provided by the hospital:

Hospital Name	City, Zip Code
Allied Services Institute of  Rehabilitation—Scranton	Scranton, 18501
John Heinz Institute of  Rehabilitation Medicine—  Wilkes-Barre	Wilkes-Barre Township, 18702
Millcreek Community Hospital	Erie, 16509
Physicians Care Surgical  Hospital	Royersford, 19468
Rothman Orthopedic Specialty  Hospital	Bensalem, 19020
Geisinger—Shamokin Area  Community Hospital	Coal Township, 17866-9697
Kindred Hospital South  Philadelphia	Philadelphia, 19145

 Additional information regarding the sexual assault victim emergency services regulations and emergency contraception and an up-to-date list of hospitals not providing emergency contraception under 28 Pa. Code § 117.57 or not providing any sexual assault emergency services under 28 Pa. Code § 117.58 is available on the Department's web site at www.health.pa.gov.

 The notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin or on the Department's web site of the lists of hospitals not providing emergency contraception under 28 Pa. Code § 117.57 or not providing any sexual assault emergency services under 28 Pa. Code § 117.58 may not be deemed an acknowledgement or confirmation by the Department that the hospitals are in compliance with the requirements of the regulations.

 Persons with a disability who require an alternative format of this notice (for example, large print, audiotape, Braille) should contact Garrison E. Gladfelter, Jr., Director, Division of Acute and Ambulatory Care, Room 532, Health and Welfare Building, 625 Forster Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0701, [phone], fax [phone] or for speech and/or hearing impaired persons V/TT [phone] or the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at [phone].

KAREN M. MURPHY, PhD, RN, 
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 16-166. Filed for public inspection January 29, 2016, 9:00 a.m.]