Issue Position: Emergency Room Access & Safety

Issue Position

Issue
Senator Jehlen and I are working on this bill with Peter DeMarco, who tragically lost his wife Laura when she died of an asthma attack directly outside of the Somerville Hospital Emergency Room. While Somerville Hospital has made important changes, we want to ensure that this never happens again at another site. People in my community and throughout the Commonwealth should feel safe when they are seeking care, and understand how to access emergency care easily. Particularly in an emergency, patients need clear and obvious information about how to get care quickly.

Christine's Plan
H.1850 would require the Department of Public Health to write and enforce regulations to require all hospitals in the Commonwealth to meet criteria to ensure safe patient care at all times in hospital emergency rooms. This includes signage, lighting, way-finding, and security monitoring of all entrance points, including adding panic buttons and doorbells.

Source