The reporting of any death in a healthcare facility is required (not related to NQF), with the exception of a “death due to natural causes” as understood in a general meaning and for which it has been established that the cause of death is not due to any contributing factors by the healthcare facility.
State of Nevada Healthcare License types now required by SB457 from the 2019 legislative session, and implemented as of 1/1/20, to report to the Sentinel Events Registry include the following:
Anyone employed by a medical facility must notify the patient safety officer within 24 hours; the patient safety officer must report the event within 13 days, and must submit a second report with contributing factors, corrective actions, and plan to remedy within 45 days.
Nevada State Health Division via RedCAPS
Registrar
500 Damonte Ranch Parkway
Suite 657
Reno, NV 895201
Phone: (775) 684-5297
Administrator
4126 Technology Way
Suite 200
Carson City, NV 89706
Phone: (775) 684-5911
Supervisor
3811 W. Charleston Blvd.
Suite 205
Las Vegas, NV 89102
Phone: (702) 486-3568
SB 457 was passed in the 2019 Legislative Session and added the reporting requirement of any non-natural death in the facility.
NRS 439.830 “Sentinel event” defined.
1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, “sentinel event” means:
(a) An event included in Appendix A of “Serious Reportable Events in Healthcare--2011 Update: A Consensus Report,” published by the National Quality Forum; or
(b) Any death that occurs in a health facility.
2. If the publication described in subsection 1 is revised, the term “sentinel events” includes, without limitation, the events included on the most current version of the list of serious reportable events published by the National Quality Forum as it exists on the effective date of the revision which is deemed to be:
(a) January 1 of the year following the publication of the revision if the revision is published on or after January 1 but before July 1 of the year in which the revision is published; or
(b) July 1 of the year following the publication of the revision if the revision is published on or after July 1 of the year in which the revision is published but before January 1 of the year after the revision is published.
3. If the National Quality Forum ceases to exist, the most current version of the list shall be deemed to be the last version of the publication in existence before the National Quality Forum ceased to exist.
(Added to NRS by 2002 Special Session, 13; A 2005, 599; 2013, 217; 2019, 1666)
NRS 439.835 Mandatory reporting of sentinel events.
1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2:
(a) A person who is employed by a health facility shall, within 24 hours after becoming aware of a sentinel event that occurred at the health facility, notify the patient safety officer of the facility of the sentinel event; and
(b) The patient safety officer shall, within 13 days after receiving notification pursuant to paragraph (a), report the date, the time and a brief description of the sentinel event to:
(1) The Division; and
(2) The representative designated pursuant to NRS 439.855, if that person is different from the patient safety officer.
2. If the patient safety officer of a health facility personally discovers or becomes aware, in the absence of notification by another employee, of a sentinel event that occurred at the health facility, the patient safety officer shall, within 14 days after discovering or becoming aware of the sentinel event, report the date, time and brief description of the sentinel event to:
(a) The Division; and
(b) The representative designated pursuant to NRS 439.855, if that person is different from the patient safety officer.
3. The State Board of Health shall prescribe the manner in which reports of sentinel events must be made pursuant to this section.
(Added to NRS by 2002 Special Session, 13; A 2009, 553; 2019, 1667)
NRS 439.837 Mandatory investigation of sentinel event by health facility; exceptions.
1. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 2 and 3, a health facility shall, upon reporting a sentinel event pursuant to NRS 439.835, conduct an investigation or cause an investigation to be conducted concerning the causes or contributing factors, or both, of the sentinel event and implement a plan to remedy the causes or contributing factors, or both, of the sentinel event.
2. A health facility is not required to take the actions described in subsection 1 concerning a death confirmed to have resulted from natural causes.
3. A residential facility for groups, home for individual residential care or facility for hospice care is not required to take the actions described in subsection 1 concerning a death that appears to have resulted from natural causes.
4. As used in this section:
(a) “Facility for hospice care” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 449.0033.
(b) “Home for individual residential care” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 449.0105.
(c) “Residential facility for groups” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 449.017.
(Added to NRS by 2009, 3068; A 2019, 1667)
Natural is defined as death caused solely by disease or natural process. If natural death is hastened by injury (such as a fall or drowning in a bathtub), the manner of death is not considered natural.
