After a year and a-half of discussion and input from the local medical and health community, a new version of a proposed patient safety ordinance was introduced to the Allen County Board of Commissioners at its March 26 legislative session.

You can view the ordinance by clicking here.

The original ordinance drafted in August 2008 required all physicians who offer to perform any type of outpatient surgical tissue removal procedure to have admitting privileges at a local hospital if the procedure is performed within Allen County.

The new ordinance would affect any physician living outside Allen or any surrounding county and does not have admitting privileges who offers any type of medical care to a person in Allen County.  Those physicians would be required to provide emergency contact information to the Fort Wayne-Allen County Health Department and pay a $250 filing fee.  In addition, follow-up care would have to be made available on an appropriate and timely basis when clinically necessary by the physician or their alternate physician-designee.  Information about the physician-designee must be provided to the patient and the Health Department, as well as all Allen County operating hospitals, emergency departments and urgent care providers.

Any person who violates any provisions of the ordinance would be subject to a maximum fine of $1,000 for each violation and reported to the Indiana State Medical Licensing Board.

A vote on the ordinance has not been scheduled.