Complying With OCR Section 1557: Discrimination, Interpreters, Required Signs and More

Audience

chief medical officers, chief nursing officers, compliance officers, emergency department personnel, TJC coordinators, medical records staff, quality improvement personnel, risk managers and legal counsel

The following program content was provided by the speaker.

Overview

This virtual event will discuss a law that applies to all hospitals, including critical access hospitals and other health care providers, such as physician offices and nursing homes. Under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, the law addresses nondiscrimination required signs and notices, interpreters, a civil rights law for health care providers, and more. It forbids discrimination based on sex, race, color, national origin, age and disability. It builds on long-standing and familiar federal civil rights laws. This is the first law to prohibit discrimination based on sex, including gender and gender identity, in covered health programs and activities.

This program will discuss changes by the Office of Civil Rights to comply with the laws as well as case law regarding several issues important to hospitals.

Hospitals are required to have a policy on nondiscrimination and must educate their staff. Patients must be notified in a language they comprehend and understand how to file a complaint if they encounter discrimination. Additionally, interpreters must be qualified, the definition of which will be explained.

This program will provide resources and information to help meet the education requirements to ensure your employees know and follow this law. A list of each state’s 15 taglines will be provided as an additional resource. Sample notices to be posted and sample grievance procedures also will be provided.

Objectives

Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

• • recite that hospitals are required to post a sign regarding nondiscrimination
  • describe that the hospital must have a sign with 15 taglines (17 in four states and Washington, D.C.), notifying patients of the right to an interpreter at no cost
  • recall that the OCR is the main enforcer of Section 1557

Speaker

Laura A. Dixon, B.S., J.D., R.N., CPHRM, most recently served as the Director of Risk Management and Patient Safety for the Colorado Region of Kaiser Permanente. Before joining Kaiser, she served as the Director of Facility Patient Safety and Risk Management and Operations for COPIC from 2014 to 2020. In her role, Dixon provided patient safety and risk management consultation and training to facilities, practitioners and staff in multiple states.

Dixon has more than 20 years of clinical experience in acute care facilities, including critical care, coronary care, perioperative services and pain management. Before joining COPIC, she served as the Director of the Western Region, Patient Safety and Risk Management for The Doctors Company in Napa, Calif. In this capacity, she provided patient safety and risk management consultation to the physicians and staff for the western U.S. As a registered nurse and attorney, Dixon holds a Bachelor of Science from Regis University in Denver; a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Drake University College of Law in Des Moines, Iowa; and a registered nurse diploma from Saint Luke’s School Professional Nursing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She is licensed to practice law in Colorado and California.