Section 481.51.24. Infection control.

There shall be proper policies and procedures for the prevention and control of communicable diseases. The hospital shall provide for compliance with the current rules for the control of communicable disease as provided by the Iowa department of public health and current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for isolation precautions.

         51.24(1) Segregation. There shall be proper arrangement of areas, rooms and patients’ beds to provide for the prevention of cross-infections and the control of communicable diseases.

            a.               There shall be proper procedures for the cleansing of rooms and surgeries, immediately following the care of a communicable case.

            b.               Segregation of communicable cases shall include policies for staff, providing for proper isolation technique in order to prevent cross-infection.

         51.24(2) Visitors. The hospital shall establish proper policies and procedures for the control of visitors to all services in the hospital.

         51.24(3) Health assessments. Health assessments for all contracted or employed personnel who provide direct services shall be required at the commencement of employment and thereafter at least every four years.

            a.               “Direct services” means services provided through person-to-person contact. “Direct services” excludes services provided by individuals such as building contractors, repair workers, or others who are in the hospital for a very limited purpose, who are not in the hospital on a regular basis, and who do not provide any treatment or services for the patients of the hospital.

            b.               The health assessment may be performed by the person’s primary care provider.

            c.               The health assessment shall include, at a minimum, vital signs and an assessment for infectious or communicable diseases.

            d.               Screening and testing for tuberculosis shall be conducted pursuant to 481—Chapter 59.

         51.24(4) Notification. Prior to removal of a deceased resident/patient from a facility, the funeral director or person responsible for transporting the body shall be notified by the facility staff of any special precautions that were followed by the facility having to do with the mode of transmission of a known or suspected communicable disease.

This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code section 135B.7.

[ARC 0484C, IAB 12/12/12, effective 1/16/13; see Delay note at end of chapter; ARC 2472C, IAB 3/30/16, effective 5/4/16]