The hospital shall adopt procedures to ensure effective and fair investigation of violations of patients’ rights and to ensure their enforcement. These procedures shall ensure that:

1. (1) a system is established to identify formal written complaints;
2. (2) formal written complaints are recorded and investigated;
3. (3) complaint records and case dispositions are kept for one year or until the next annual survey and made available to the Department upon request;
4. (4) investigation and resolution, when possible, of formal complaints shall be timely; and
5. (5) disciplinary and remedial education procedures will be developed for members of the hospital and medical staff who consistently cause patient relationship problems.

Notes of Decisions

Although patients must be given access to, or copies of, their medical records, such records are the property of the hospital, and a subpoena for the production of such records was properly served on the hospital. In re the June 1979 Allegheny County Investigating Grand Jury, 415 A.2d 73 (Pa. 1980).

Cross References

This section cited in 28 Pa. Code § 103.3 (relating to governing body bylaws).