Hospital licensing board should be history

By The Des Moines Register

State lawmakers should eliminate the Iowa Hospital Licensing Board - and finally require public reporting of hospital errors themselves. It should not be up to a board of volunteers to ensure openness about problems in medical facilities Iowans entrust with their lives.

The hospital board is not necessary anyway. Its job of approving regulations could be taken over by the State Board of Health. It adds a layer of bureaucracy to state government, the board is too cozy with the hospital industry. Until recently, it was comprised entirely of former hospital executives. Those with ties to the industry still make up the majority of members. And its very existence allows lawmakers to shirk their responsibilities.

This was all painfully obvious during a recent meeting of the board.

The board was supposed to call for a vote on a measure requiring hospitals to publicly report so-called “never event” medical errors. These are mistakes that should never occur because they are preventable - like operating on the wrong body part or discharging a newborn to the wrong parents.

The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals has been trying for months to persuade the board to approve public reporting of such problems.

But not one of the six members made a motion to simply take a vote. The board's failure to act is stunning - and not in keeping with what Iowans want. . . .

Four of the board members have ties to the industry. This includes chairman Bob Miller, a former hospital CEO. He said he didn't think members should pass regulations without knowing more about how they are going to be implemented. Miller could look to the other 27 states that have the reporting requirement. And the vote would have been only the first step in a longer process to enact reporting.

Then there are board members who aren't connected to the hospital industry, but don't appear too engaged in serving on the board. One lay member was absent from the meeting and said he doesn't plan to go to any future ones because he's “disgusted” by how the board has handled matters. The other member appointed to represent the public left the meeting early.

Hence, the proposal died.

Iowans have a right to know what is going on in hospitals. When you're choosing a hospital to have surgery, you should know about infection rates and mistakes. Patients and their families should be aware of problems to watch for and ask about, including potential burns or an oxygen line carrying the wrong gas.

Also, public reporting of mistakes will make hospitals accountable. That is the best way to encourage them to do more to keep patients safe and avoid errors that add $4.4 billion to government health costs each year.

Such openness is good for hospitals, patients and taxpayers. Lawmakers should mandate it, and get rid of the unnecessary hospital board while they're at it.