(210 ILCS 155/15)
    Sec. 15. Qualifying hospitals.
    (a) Beginning October 1, 2010, the Department shall establish the Long Term Acute Care Hospital Quality Improvement Transfer Program. Any hospital may participate in the program if it meets the requirements of this Section as determined by the Department.
    (b) To participate in the program a hospital must do the following:
        (1) Operate as an LTAC hospital.
        (2) Employ one-half of an FTE (designated for case management) for every 15 patients
    
admitted to the hospital.
        (3) Maintain on-site physician coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
        (4) Maintain on-site respiratory therapy coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
    (c) A hospital must also execute a program participation agreement with the Department. The agreement must include:
        (1) An attestation that the hospital complies with the criteria in subsection (b) of
    
this Section.
        (2) A process for the hospital to report its continuing compliance with subsection (b)
    
of this Section. The hospital must submit a compliance report at least annually.
        (3) A requirement that the hospital complete and electronically submit to the Department
    
for each patient no later than 13 calendar days after discharge:
            (A) the CARE tool in the format required by the federal Centers for Medicare and
        
Medicaid Services; and
            (B) in an electronic format developed by the Department, (i) whether the patient was
        
successfully weaned off invasive mechanical ventilation, (ii) whether the patient, if the patient was a ventilator patient, acquired pneumonia, and (iii) whether the patient fell and required an ancillary or surgical procedure (e.g., x-ray, MRI, sutures, or surgery).
        (4) A requirement that the hospital use a patient satisfaction survey specifically
    
designed for LTAC hospital settings. The hospital must submit survey results data to the Department at least annually.
        (5) A requirement that the hospital accept all clinically approved patients for
    
admission or transfer from a STAC hospital with the exception of STAC hospitals identified in paragraphs (1) and (2) under subsection (a) of Section 25 of this Act. The patient must be evaluated using LTAC hospital criteria approved by the Department for use in this program and meet the appropriate criteria.
        (6) A requirement that the hospital report quality and outcome measurement data, as
    
described in Section 20 of this Act, to the Department at least annually.
        (7) A requirement that the hospital provide the Department full access to patient data
    
and other data maintained by the hospital. Access must be in compliance with State and federal law.
        (8) A requirement that the hospital use LTAC hospital criteria to evaluate patients that
    
are admitted to the hospital to determine that the patient is in the most appropriate setting.
(Source: P.A. 98-997, eff. 8-18-14.)