Nursing home operators in New Jersey must develop an emergency response plan if there is an outbreak of contagious disease under a new law.
State lawmakers drafted the legislation in the wake of a viral outbreak at the Wanaque Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Passaic County that sickened 35 children and one employee, and killed 11 children who relied on ventilators to help them breathe.
“Although nearly a year has passed since the tragic outbreak in Wanaque, we have not forgotten about the eleven children who were taken from us far too soon,” Murphy said in a statement. “I am proud to sign legislation today requiring long-term care facilities to have outbreak plans in place to reduce the chances of a similar tragedy from ever happening again.”
The emergency response plans must include how nursing homes will isolate “at risk” residents and notify residents, families, visitors, and staff in the event of an outbreak, according to the legislation.
“If the proper plans and protocol had been established and implemented, it’s possible this tragedy could have been avoided,” said Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi, R-Bergen, one of the law’s sponsors.
Delays in hospitalizing patients, as well as issues with separating healthy kids from those who were infected, have been blamed in part for the death toll at Wanaque. Many parents said they did not learn of the outbreak until reading about it in media accounts.
Assembly Democrats and the bill sponsors Herb Conaway, D-Burlington, Christopher Tully and Lisa Swain, both D-Bergen, said the requirements that these plans “be customized to the facility, meets national standards, and be developed in consultation with an infection control committee at the facility” should give “the public peace of mind.”
Nursing homes are required to submit the plans to the Department of Heath within 180 days, according to the law. More detailed plans are required at facilities which serve ventilator-dependent residents.
“Breaches in infection control practices are a major contributing factor in the spread of disease in health care facilities,” acting Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said in a statement. “Outbreak response plans help facilities remain aware of the need to contact and work with public health to implement practices to minimize further spread of disease.”
Staff Writer Ted Sherman contributed to this report.
Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.