(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.)