Patient dumping bill signed

A bill to require reports on the possible "dumping" of patients on public hospitals in the Las Vegas area has been signed by Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons.

AB52 requires hospitals in Clark County with more than 70 beds to file quarterly reports with the Legislative Committee on Health Care detailing which patients are transferred to another hospital, whether the patient can pay or has insurance and the reason for the transfer.

The bill was sought by Clark County, which operates University Medical Center. The study also will look at transfers from private hospitals to UMC and other hospitals. Some private hospitals don't have the facilities to care for some of these patients.

AB52 also allows Clark County to adopt an ordinance to permit it to name a wing or a unit of UMC after the donor of a large sum of money.