Chronic and convalescent nursing homes and rest homes with nursing supervision: Preservation and maintenance of patient medical records. Electronic signatures

(a) A chronic and convalescent nursing home or a rest home with nursing supervision shall preserve all patient medical records, irrespective of whether such records are in a printed or electronic format, for not less than seven years following the date of the patient's discharge from such facility or, in the case of a patient who dies at the facility, for not less than seven years following the date of death. A chronic and convalescent nursing home or rest home with nursing supervision may maintain all or any portion of a patient's medical record in an electronic format that complies with accepted professional standards for such medical records. The Commissioner of Public Health shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this subsection. (b) A chronic or convalescent nursing home or a rest home with nursing supervision may use electronic signatures for patient medical records, provided such chronic or convalescent nursing home or rest home with nursing supervision has written policies in place to maintain the privacy and security of such electronic signatures.