7 AAC 12.650 - Employee health program
(a) A facility must
establish and maintain an employee health program that
(1) provides tuberculosis education,
screening, testing, evaluation, and treatment in accordance with the United
States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) recommendations for tuberculosis screening and testing of
health care personnel; baseline tuberculosis screening and testing for a new
employee must occur before the employee's first day of employment;
(A) an employee who has never had a positive
tuberculin skin test result shall obtain a tuberculin Mantoux skin test; if the
tuberculin skin test result is negative, the employee does not need to have
further annual tuberculosis evaluation under this paragraph if the employee's
duties never require him or her to be in a room where patients or residents
might enter, and if the employee does not handle clinical specimens or other
material from patients or from their rooms; an example of such an employee is
an administrative person or research worker whose place of work is remote from
patient or residential care areas and who does not come in contact with
clinical specimens;
(B) an employee
who has previously had a positive tuberculin skin test result, or an employee
whose tuberculin skin test obtained under (A) of this paragraph has a positive
result
(i) shall have a health evaluation by
a health care provider to identify symptoms suggesting that tuberculosis
disease is present; the health evaluation must also include evaluation for the
presence of any of the following risk factors: evidence of inadequately treated
past tuberculosis disease, history of close exposure to a case of communicable
pulmonary tuberculosis within the previous two years, history of a negative
tuberculin test within the previous two years, diabetes mellitus (severe or
poorly controlled), diseases associated with severe immunologic deficiencies,
immunosuppressive therapy, silicosis, gastrectomy, excessive alcohol intake, or
human immunodeficiency virus infection; if symptoms suggesting tuberculosis
disease are present, or if any of the risk factors is present, a chest x-ray
shall be obtained as part of the health evaluation and the health care provider
shall report the case to the section of epidemiology, division of public
health; and
(ii) if the employee
has previously received appropriate antituberculosis chemotherapy and has no
symptoms suggesting that tuberculosis is present, the employee need not have
further annual tuberculosis evaluation under this paragraph;
(2) requires evidence
of immunization against rubella by
(A) a valid
immunization certificate signed by a physician listing the date of rubella
vaccination;
(B) a copy of a record
from a clinic or health center showing the date of vaccination; or
(C) the result of a serologic test approved
by the department showing the employee is immune; and
(3) requires evidence of immunization against
hepatitis B by
(A) a valid immunization
certificate signed by a physician listing the date of vaccination; or
(B) a copy of a record from a clinic or
health center showing the date of vaccination.
(b) The requirements of this section do not
apply to hospice agencies that do not provide inpatient care on agency
premises. The requirements of (a)(2) of this section do not apply to home
health agencies, nursing homes, or ambulatory surgical facilities, and, for
employees of other facilities, may be waived if a physician signs a certificate
that there are medical reasons that dictate that an employee should not be
vaccinated against rubella.
Notes
The most recent version of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for tuberculosis screening and testing of health care personnel can be accessed at https://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/testing/healthcareworkers.htm.
Authority:AS 18.05.040
AS 47.32.010
AS 47.32.030
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