CHAPTER 82

 

An Act concerning hospitals and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

C.26:2H-5i  New Jersey Report Card of Hospital Maternity Care.

     1.    The Commissioner of Health shall gather and compile information necessary to develop a New Jersey Report Card of Hospital Maternity Care, as provided for in this act.  The report card, which shall be updated annually and made available on the website of the Department of Health, shall be designed to inform members of the public about maternity care provided in each general hospital licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.), so that a member of the public is able to make an informed comparison.

 

C.26:2H-5j  Information included on report card.

     2.    For each hospital, the report card shall include:

     a.     the number of vaginal deliveries performed;

     b.    the number of cesarean deliveries performed; and

     c.     the rate of complications experienced by a patient receiving maternity care:

     (1)   for a vaginal delivery, which shall include the rate of maternal hemorrhage, laceration, infection, or other complication as prescribed by the Commissioner of Health; and

     (2)   for a cesarean delivery, which shall include the rate of maternal hemorrhage, infection, operative complication, or other complication as prescribed by the Commissioner of Health.

 

C.26:2H-5k  Revision, addition of complications.

     3.    Notwithstanding the provisions of section 2 of this act to the contrary, the commissioner shall revise or add complications or other factors to be included in the report card based on maternal quality indicators as may be recommended by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

 

     4.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

     Approved August 10, 2018.