135C.19 Public disclosure of inspection findings — posting of citations.

1. Following an inspection of a health care facility by the department pursuant to this chapter, the department’s final findings with respect to compliance by the facility with requirements for licensing shall be made available to the public in a readily available form and place. Other information relating to a health care facility obtained by the department which does not constitute the department’s findings from an inspection of the facility shall not be made available to the public except in proceedings involving the citation of a facility for a violation under section 135C.40, or the denial, suspension, or revocation of a license under this chapter. The name of a person who files a complaint with the department shall be confidential.

2. a. A citation for a class I or class II violation which is issued to a health care facility and which has become final, or a copy of the citation, shall be prominently posted as prescribed in rules, until the violation is corrected to the department’s satisfaction. The citation or copy shall be posted in a place in plain view of the residents of the facility cited, persons visiting the residents, and persons inquiring about placement in the facility.

b. A copy of each citation required to be posted by this subsection shall be sent by the department to the department of human services, to the designated protection and advocacy agency if the facility has one or more residents with developmental disabilities or mental illness, and to the office of long-term care ombudsman if the facility is a nursing facility or residential care facility.

3. If the facility cited subsequently advises the department of human services that the violation has been corrected to the satisfaction of the department of inspections and appeals, the department of human services shall maintain this advisory in the same file with the copy of the citation. The department of human services shall not disseminate to the public any information regarding citations issued by the department of inspections and appeals, but shall forward or refer inquiries to the department of inspections and appeals.

[C58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §135C.19]

83 Acts, ch 96, §157, 159; 84 Acts, ch 1227, §2; 87 Acts, ch 234, §429; 90 Acts, ch 1039, §8; 90 Acts, ch 1204, §16, 17; 2009 Acts, ch 41, §263; 2014 Acts, ch 1040, §10

Referred to in §135C.40