Relating to the reporting of serious reportable events, and providing penalties

This bill relates to the reporting of serious reportable events by facilities including hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and birth centers. The bill requires each facility to report to the director (director) of the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing (DIAL) the occurrence of a serious reportable event as soon as is reasonably and practicably possible, but no later than working days after discovery of the event. Reports shall be filed in a format specified by the director of DIAL and shall identify the facility but shall not include any identifying information for any of the health care professionals, facility employees, or patients involved. The bill requires that following the occurrence of a serious reportable event, a facility shall conduct a root cause analysis of the event and shall either implement a corrective action plan or report to the director any reasons for not taking corrective action. The director shall design the serious reportable event reporting system to allow a facility to file the required reports by electronic means and shall encourage a facility to use the electronic filing option when that option is feasible for the facility. Upon the occurrence of a serious reportable event, if prior to or during a root cause analysis the facility determines the serious reportable event may constitute child abuse or dependent adult abuse, the facility shall inform persons within the facility who are mandatory reporters of child abuse and dependent adult abuse. Additionally, if a serious reportable event is reported by a facility, no other state agency or licensing board is required to conduct an investigation of or obtain or create investigative data based upon other reports of the same event. DIAL is not precluded from requiring additional reports as deemed necessary by DIAL. If a facility is required to report a serious reportable event pursuant to another state law that meets the requirements for compliance with the bill, DIAL shall recognize the report in lieu of a report made under the bill if DIAL is provided a copy of the report.7. The director shall establish a serious reportable event reporting system requiring certain information as detailed in the bill. The director shall take action relating to serious reportable events as described in the bill. The director may collaborate with the department of health and human services to administer the director’s duties and responsibilities. The bill requires the boards of medicine, physician assistants, nursing, pharmacy, and podiatry to maintain a record of complaints that come to the attention of the respective board and are determined to qualify as serious reportable events. Within working days of making a determination that an event qualifies as a serious reportable event, the respective board shall forward a report of the event to the director. The director shall then forward the report to the facility named in the report and the facility shall determine whether the event has been previously reported and shall notify the director as detailed in the bill.