RE: Misadministrations

["Feldman, Gerald" <gfeldman@msx.ndc.mc.uci.edu>]

Mack L. Richard wrote, 

"...  When such events happen, is the hospital required to notify some
regulatory agency which in turn investigates and possibly takes action
against the hospital?  Not that I am aware. "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The answer is yes.  Serious events (such as those dealing with loss of
patient life, limb, or function) are called "Sentinel Events" and are
reportable to the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care
Organizations (JCAHO).  In addition to investigation of the event itself,
JCAHO may conduct an unannounced accreditation survey of an organization
following a sentinel event.  Hospitals are normally re-accredited every
three years and they spend a great deal of time and effort to gain and keep
their accreditation.  Suspension or loss of JCAHO accreditation may put a
hospital out of business.  

Gerald Feldman, M.S.
Radiation Safety Officer
University of California, Irvine Medical Center
Orange, California
gfeldman@uci.edu 
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