§ 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; and
(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; amended 2023, No. 85 (Adj. Sess.), § 46, eff. July 1, 2024.)