Subdivision 1. Facilities. Every hospital licensed as such pursuant to sections 144.50 to 144.56, and every outpatient surgery center shall establish a grievance or complaint mechanism designed to process and resolve promptly and effectively grievances by patients or their representatives related to billing, inadequacies of treatment, and other factors which may have an impact on the incidence of malpractice claims and suits.

For the purposes of sections 144.691 to 144.693, "outpatient surgery center" shall mean a free standing facility organized for the specific purpose of providing elective outpatient surgery for preexamined prediagnosed low risk patients. Services provided at an outpatient surgery center shall be limited to surgical procedures which utilize local or general anesthesia and which do not require overnight inpatient care. "Outpatient surgery center" does not mean emergency medical services, or physician or dentist offices.

Subd. 2. Patient notice. Each patient receiving treatment at a hospital or an outpatient surgery center shall be notified of the grievance or complaint mechanism which is available to the patient.

Subd. 3. Rules. The state commissioner of health shall, by January 1, 1977, establish by rule promulgated pursuant to chapter 15:

(1) minimum standards and procedural requirements for grievance and complaint mechanism;

(2) a list of patient complaints which may be processed through a complaint or grievance mechanism;

(3) the form and manner in which patient notices shall be made; and

(4) a schedule of fines, not to exceed $200 per offense, for the failure of a hospital or outpatient surgery center to comply with the provisions of this section.

Subd. 4. [Repealed, 1996 c 451 art 4 s 71]

History: 1976 c 325 s 8; 1977 c 305 s 45; 1981 c 311 s 39; 1982 c 545 s 24; 1986 c 444