Advocacy Correspondence: House Health Committee, HAP Support for House Bill 2604, Hospital ID Badge Legislation

June 9, 2022

TO:  Chairwoman Rapp, Chairman Frankel, and Honorable Members of the House Health Committee

FROM:  Heather Tyler, Vice President, State Legislative Advocacy

SUBJECT:  Support for House Bill 2604, Hospital ID Badge Legislation

On behalf of 235 member hospitals statewide and the patients and communities they serve, The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) expresses its strong support for House Bill 2604 sponsored by Representative Tim Twardzik. We ask that the committee move the bill, that all members support it, and that you reach out to House leaders to urge its swift passage through the chamber.

In addition to provisions of current law, this bill will amend the Health Care Facilities Act to make it acceptable for hospital and health system photo identification badges to display the common name of the health system.

Currently, hospital and health system ID badges are required to list a staff member’s name, title, and licensed facility. HB 2604 would modernize the law to take into account the fact that many hospitals are now components of hospital systems, whose staff routinely provide services at multiple facilities. As the law is currently written, those employees would be required to have multiple badges for each facility, rather than the system in which they are employed. Given that today’s ID badges often have technological and security features built into them, current law is burdensome for hospital staff and costly for the hospitals that employ them. Moreover, modernizing the law is important in supporting hospitals efforts and investments to keep their employees safe.

A recent report from the American Hospital Association shows that hospitals are increasingly strained due to financial and operational challenges, with over 33 percent of hospitals operating on negative margins. With more patients seeking care, as well as revenue losses and increasing expenses in labor, drugs, and supplies due to inflation and other factors, many hospitals are in precarious—sometimes unsustainable—financial situations.

This simple bill would help alleviate some strain, benefiting hospitals and their hardworking staff.

Thank you for consideration of HB 2604. We ask that you move and favorably report the bill from committee and urge swift passage on the House floor.

 

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Topics: State Advocacy, Workforce

Revision Date: 6/9/2022

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