state hospital; capacity;
allocation formula
DP |
Committee on Health |
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DP |
Committee on Appropriations |
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DPA |
Caucus and COW |
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DPA |
Third Read |
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X |
As Passed the House |
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SB 1149 allows the Arizona State Hospital to set the maximum funded capacity in its civil, forensic and juvenile programs.
The Arizona State Hospital (ASH) provides inpatient care and treatment for persons with serious mental illness who are court-ordered to the facility on either a civil or criminal commitment. The hospital currently has 335 licensed beds available to serve civil, forensic and juvenile patients. The average daily census for the ASH in December 2001 was 302.7 persons.
Since the hospital operates as an inpatient facility, it is eligible for accreditation to receive Medicare funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Due to staffing shortages, overcrowding and a lack of active treatment and physical deficiencies, the hospital had to withdraw from the Medicare program in June 1997.
During the 1999 legislative session, HB 2478 passed to temporarily establish a waiting list for the admission of adults in the restoration to competency program and adolescents (both civil and forensic) into the Arizona State Hospital when it reaches its funded capacity. The bill was drafted to prevent overcrowding and maintain safe conditions in the hospital, while preventing ASH from losing is Medicare certification again. During the 2001 legislative session, SB 1060 added the adult guilty except insane and civil populations to the waiting list.
ASH became re-certified for Medicare in June 2000. During the 2000 legislative session, $80 million was appropriated for new hospital construction, which is scheduled to finish by March 2005. This will add 104 new civil and forensic bed spaces to ASH.
SB 1149 will allow ASH to set its maximum capacity each year until July 1, 2004.
· Requires ASH to collect census data for the guilty except insane, juvenile, civil and restoration to competency programs to establish the maximum capacity and allocation formula. This removes the requirement for the legislature to include the funded capacity in its general appropriations act for restoration to competency, juvenile and civil populations at ASH.
· Requires the Deputy Director of the Department of Health Services (DHS) to establish the maximum funded capacity and allocation formula for the civil and forensic populations by August 1 of each year. The Deputy Director must notify the Governor, the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House and all of the chairmen for each county board of supervisors as to the allocation and capacity for the fiscal year.
· Requires the Superintendent of ASH to include information on the census data for the civil, forensic and juvenile program in the report submitted to the Deputy Director on ASH.
· Extends the ability of ASH to cap the restoration to competency and guilty except insane admissions until July 1, 2004.
· Repeals the ability of ASH to cap the juvenile and civil admissions on July 1, 2004.
· Provides retroactivity to July 1, 2002.
· Makes technical and clarifying changes.
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45th
Legislature
Second
Regular Session 3 April 22, 2002
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