CHICAGO, IL – On January 1, 2010 several new Illinois health-related laws take effect. As the voice for Illinois physicians, the Illinois State Medical Society wants health professionals and patients to be aware of these changes. Following are a few laws of interest that take effect on New Year’s Day.

New cancer education and screening programs for students – Public Act 096-0128 requires health class curricula to include information on cancer risk factors, prevention and early detection. 2010 also brings new cancer screenings as a component of school sports physicals.

New protocols to limit re-transmission of sexually transmitted diseases – Public Act 096-0613 authorizes medical professionals treating patients with gonorrhea or chlamydia to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for “Expedited Partner Therapy.” Expedited Partner Therapy allows the physician to extend treatment to the patient’s sex partner, by providing prescriptions or medications to the patient to take to his/her partner. This protocol is intended to help prevent re-transmission of sexually transmitted diseases between partners.

Streamlined procedures to ensure patients’ medical care wishes are respected* – Public Act 096-0448 makes it easier for nursing home patients to designate health surrogates. A health care surrogate is someone selected to make health care decisions when a patient becomes incapacitated. Nursing homes now will be required to provide surrogacy forms to each new resident. Public Act 096-0492 helps assure previous designations of health surrogates stay with the patient as he/she travels between care facilities (unless a patient chooses to remove the surrogate). Public Act 096-0765 reduces from two to one the number of witnesses needed to formalize a “do not resuscitate” advance directive order. The reduced signature requirement makes it easier for patients to complete the DNR form and formalize their wishes.

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*ISMS offers a complimentary brochure, A Personal Decision, which contains information and forms for designating surrogates, expressing do-not-resuscitate wishes and more. Download a free copy of the publication or learn more about ISMS at www.isms.org. For more information on new 2010 laws, visit www.ilga.gov.

ISMS is a professional membership association representing 12,000 physicians practicing in all medical specialties statewide.