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Senate Committee Hears SB 80 to Require Physicians in Emergency Rooms; Vote Delayed
Summary
A Senate committee heard testimony on SB 80, which would require a physician to be on site whenever a hospital emergency room is open. Proponents cited training differences and patient-safety stories; opponents warned the mandate could strain rural hospitals. The committee did not vote and plans to revisit the bill next week.
Senator Stutz introduced SB 80, a two-page bill that would require hospital emergency rooms to be staffed by a physician while the ER is open, and the Senate committee heard supporters and critics but agreed not to vote on the measure at this meeting.
The sponsor, Senator Stutz, told members the intent is simple: "a doctor should be there and primarily responsible for what goes on in the ER if the ER is open," and he said the committee could refine language about whether the physician must be "physically present" or merely "immediately available." He asked members to discuss language with him before a planned vote next week.
Emergency physicians who testified cited patient-safety risks when a physician is not immediately available. "When emergency departments operate without a physician present, patient outcomes suffer and disparities increase," said Dr. Sean Van Landingham, an emergency physician who identified himself as president of Alabama ASAP. Van…
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