Pennsylvania Code › Title 28 - HEALTH AND SAFETY › Part IV - Health Facilities › Subpart A - General Provisions › Chapter 51 - GENERAL INFORMATION › GENERAL PROVISIONS › Section 51.3 - Notification

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a) A health care
					 facility shall notify the Department in writing at least 60 days prior to the
					 intended commencement of a health care service which has not been previously
					 provided at that facility.
(b) A
					 health care facility shall notify the Department in writing at least 60 days
					 prior to the intended date of providing services in new beds it intends to add
					 to its approved complement of beds.
(c) A health care facility shall provide
					 similar notice at least 60 days prior to the effective date it intends to cease
					 providing an existing health care service or reduce its licensed bed
					 complement.
(d) A health care
					 facility shall submit to the Department architectural plans and blueprints of
					 proposed new construction, alteration or renovation to the facility. This
					 material shall be submitted at least 60 days before the initiation of
					 construction, alteration or renovation. The Department will review these
					 documents to assure compliance with relevant life safety code and other
					 regulatory requirements. The Department will respond to the facility by either
					 issuing an approval or disapproval or requesting further information within 45
					 days of receipt of the facility's submission. The facility may not initiate
					 construction, alteration or renovation until it has received an approval from
					 the Department.
(e) If a health
					 care facility is aware of information which shows that the facility is not in
					 compliance with any of the Department's regulations which are applicable to
					 that health care facility, and that the noncompliance seriously compromises
					 quality assurance or patient safety, it shall immediately notify the Department
					 in writing of its noncompliance. The notification shall include sufficient
					 detail and information to alert the Department as to the reason for the failure
					 to comply and the steps which the health care facility shall take to bring it
					 into compliance with the regulation.
(
Editor's Note
: Under section 314 of the
						act of March 20, 2002 (P. L. 154, No. 13) (act), subsections (f) and (g) are
						abrogated with respect to a medical facility upon the reporting of a serious
						event, incident or infrastructure failure pursuant to section 313 of the
						act.)
(f) If a health care
					 facility is aware of a situation or the occurrence of an event at the facility
					 which could seriously compromise quality assurance or patient safety, the
					 facility shall immediately notify the Department in writing. The notification
					 shall include sufficient detail and information to alert the Department as to
					 the reason for its occurrence and the steps which the health care facility
					 shall take to rectify the situation.
(g) For purposes of subsections (e) and (f),
					 events which seriously compromise quality assurance or patient safety include,
					 but are not limited to, the following:
(1)
					 Deaths due to injuries, suicide or unusual circumstances.
(2) Deaths due to malnutrition, dehydration
					 or sepsis.
(3) Deaths or serious
					 injuries due to a medication error.
(4) Elopements.
(5) Transfers to a hospital as a result of
					 injuries or accidents.
(6)
					 Complaints of patient abuse, whether or not confirmed by the
					 facility.
(7) Rape.
(8) Surgery performed on the wrong patient or
					 on the wrong body part.
(9)
					 Hemolytic transfusion reaction.
(10) Infant abduction or infant discharged to
					 the wrong family.
(11) Significant
					 disruption of services due to disaster such as fire, storm, flood or other
					 occurrence.
(12) Notification of
					 termination of any services vital to the continued safe operation of the
					 facility or the health and safety of its patients and personnel, including, but
					 not limited to, the anticipated or actual termination of electric, gas, steam
					 heat, water, sewer and local exchange telephone service.
(13) Unlicensed practice of a regulated
					 profession.
(14) Receipt of a
					 strike notice.