Sexual Assault Victim Emergency Services Regulation [40 Pa.B. 3609]
[Saturday, June 26, 2010]On January 26, 2008, the Department of Health (Department) published a Notice of Final Rulemaking in the Pennsylvania Bulletin for the Sexual Assault Victim Emergency Services Regulation. See 38 Pa.B. 573 (January 26, 2008). The Sexual Assault Victim Emergency Services Regulation became effective on January 26, 2008, and amended the Department's regulations at 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 such medication are required to give notice to the Department of the decision. See 28 Pa. Code § 177.57 (relating to religious or 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 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 ContraceptionUnder 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 Altoona Regional Health
System (Bon Secours Campus)Altoona, 16601 Jersey Shore Hospital Jersey Shore, 17740 Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital Darby, 19023 Mercy Hospital Scranton Scranton, 18501 Mercy Jeannette Jeannette, 15644 Mercy Philadelphia Hospital Philadelphia, 19143 Mercy Suburban Hospital Norristown, 19401 Nazareth Hospital Philadelphia, 19152 Muncy Valley Hospital Muncy, 17756 St. Mary Medical Center Langhorne, 19047 UPMC Mercy Hospital Pittsburgh, 15219 Williamsport Hospital Williamsport, 17701 St. Joseph Regional Health Network Reading, 19603 Hospitals That May Not Provide
Any Sexual Assault Emergency ServicesUnder 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—ScrantonScranton, 18501 John Heinz Institute of
Rehabilitation Medicine— Wilkes-BarreWilkes-Barre Township, 18702 Shamokin Area Community Hospital Coal Township, 17866-9697 Triumph Philadelphia Long-Term
Acute Care HospitalPhiladelphia, 19145 Additional information regarding the Sexual Assault Victim Emergency Services Regulation 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, www.health.state.pa.us.
The publishing 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, shall 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 Joanne Salsgiver, Director of the Division of Acute and Ambulatory Care, Room 532, Health and Welfare Building, 625 Forster Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0701, (717) 783-8980, fax (717) 772-2163, or for speech and/or hearing impaired persons V/TT (717) 783-6514, or the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at (800) 654-5984.
EVERETTE JAMES,
Secretary[Pa.B. Doc. No. 10-1173. Filed for public inspection June 25, 2010, 9:00 a.m.]
