§ 1915. Hospital obligations

The rules adopted pursuant to this chapter shall require hospitals to:

(1) develop, maintain, and implement internal policies and procedures that meet the standards of the Department to:

(A) identify, track, and analyze reportable adverse events, adverse events, and near misses;

(B) determine what type of causal analysis, if any, is appropriate;

(C) conduct causal analyses and develop corrective action plans; and

(D) disclose to patients, or, in the case of a patient death, an adult member of the immediate family, at a minimum, adverse events that cause death or serious bodily injury;

(2) report reportable adverse events to the Department;

(3) provide the Department with copies of its causal analysis and corrective action plan in connection with each reportable adverse event;

(4) for reportable adverse events that must also by law be reported to other departments or agencies, notify the Department of Health or provide a copy of any written report and provide any causal analysis information required by the Department;

(5) for the purpose of evaluating a hospital's compliance with the provisions of this chapter, provide the Commissioner and designees reasonable access to:

(A) information protected by the provisions of the patient's privilege under 12 V.S.A. § 1612(a) or otherwise required by law to be held confidential; and

(B) the minutes and records of a peer review committee and any other information subject to peer review protection under 26 V.S.A. § 1443. (Added 2005, No. 215 (Adj. Sess.), § 324.)