Fierce Healthcare writes: Washington physicians have mounted a campaign designed to defeat legislation requiring them to screen some patients for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The initiative opposing MRSA screening requirements is spearheaded by the Washington State Medical Association, which is against any laws which demand that doctors address MRSA in a specific manner.
The state hospital association does not reject the notion of instituting uniform MRSA screening standards. However, it is not happy with provisions in the bill that would require hospitals to isolate patients colonized or infected with MRSA, as not all facilities have enough private rooms to isolate all infected patients.