Reporting Serious Events and Noncompliance to the Department of Health
Pennsylvania requires every licensed health care facility, including a hospice, to notify the Department of Health immediately and in writing when it learns of serious noncompliance or of an event that could seriously compromise quality assurance or patient safety. This policy lists those events, says who sends the notice and what it contains, and links it to abuse reporting and the QAPI program.
About this policy
- Policy number
- PA-HSP-GOV-04
- Version
- 1.0
- Main rule
- 28 Pa. Code §51.3(e)-(h)
- Library
- Pennsylvania hospice · 60 policies
- Category
- Governance
- Sections
- 16
In short
- Some events must be reported to the Department of Health right away in writing: for example a death from a fall or a medication error, a patient taken to hospital after an accident, any complaint of patient abuse, or a loss of power or phones.
- If something serious happens, make the patient safe, call 911 if needed, then call the Administrator at once.
- Abuse reports to protective services, police or ChildLine are your own duty. Telling the Administrator does not replace them.
- When in doubt, report it.
What's inside
16 sections. The full text comes with the One-time Policy Pack.
- Terms of Reference
- 1. Purpose
- 2. Scope
- 3. Definitions
- 4. Policy Statement (28 Pa. Code §51.3(e)-(h))
- 5. Events That Must Be Reported
- 6. Procedure
- 7. What the Notice Includes and What It Leaves Out
- 8. Relationship With Other Reporting Duties
- 9. Responsibilities
- 10. Records and Compliance Monitoring
- 11. Staff Training
- 12. References
- 13. Related Policies and Forms
- 14. Approval
- 15. Revision History
An inspector may ask
- What events do you report to the Department of Health, and how quickly?
- Show me the last notice you sent under 28 Pa. Code §51.3. Who sent it and when?
See Cura Core with your agency's name on it.
Choose your state and type of agency, buy your Policy Pack online and get your sign-in by email. Already a customer? Sign in to your portal.