Section 2995-B. Hospital report cards

1. Collection. The department shall
  collect the following hospital data for dissemination to inform consumer
  decisionmaking via a statewide health information system:
    (a)  Utilization  and  performance  information  to  promote   quality
  improvement activities which was collected and evaluated for appropriate
  dissemination   pursuant  to  subparagraph  (ii)  of  paragraph  (a)  of
  subdivision one of the former section twenty-eight  hundred  seven-n  of
  this  chapter,  as  added  by  section  sixty  of  chapter  six  hundred
  thirty-nine of the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-six;
    (b) Statewide performance  data  comparing  utilization  and  selected
  performance  measures  to  accepted norms and/or benchmarks developed by
  recognized experts, which were developed pursuant to subparagraph  (iii)
  of  paragraph  (a) of subdivision one of the former section twenty-eight
  hundred seven-n of this chapter, as added by section  sixty  of  chapter
  six hundred thirty-nine of the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-six; and
    (c) Other hospital data, if any, collected for public dissemination by
  the  state task force on health care quality improvement pursuant to the
  former section twenty-eight hundred four-b of this chapter, as added  by
  section  sixty-a  of  chapter  six  hundred  thirty-nine  of the laws of
  nineteen hundred ninety-six.
    2. Preparation  of  data  and  public  review.  The  department  shall
  thereafter prepare and risk-adjust as appropriate the collected hospital
  data  for  dissemination  pursuant  to  the former subparagraph (iii) of
  paragraph (c) of subdivision two of section twenty-eight hundred  four-b
  of  this  chapter,  as  added  by section sixty-a of chapter six hundred
  thirty-nine of the laws of nineteen hundred ninety-six.  The  department
  shall  coordinate  its  efforts  with programs of the national forum for
  health care quality  measurement  and  reporting  (quality  forum).  The
  department  shall provide each hospital with a copy of the hospital data
  to be disseminated concerning it. In a manner and time required  by  the
  department,  the  hospital  shall  be  provided  with  an opportunity to
  correct factual  inaccuracies,  and  to  file  a  statement  in  a  form
  prescribed  by the department concerning the data, which statement shall
  be disseminated with such data.
    3. Dissemination. The  department  shall  thereafter  disseminate  the
  collected hospital data, with corrections and statements, if any.
    (a)  Thereafter, the hospital data so disseminated shall be updated at
  regular intervals to be determined by the department.
    (b)  All  hospital  data  disseminated  shall  include  the  following
  statement: "THE DATA COLLECTED BY THE DEPARTMENT IS ACCURATE TO THE BEST
  OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE DEPARTMENT, BASED ON THE INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY
  THE HOSPITAL WHICH IS THE SUBJECT OF THE DATA."
    (c)  If  the  department  determines  that any data to be disseminated
  pursuant  to  this  section   is   not   useful   for   making   quality
  determinations,  the  department  shall recommend to the legislature the
  necessary statutory changes.