TITLE 23
Health and Safety
CHAPTER 23-17.21
The Rhode Island Patient Safety Act of 2008
SECTION 23-17.21-5
§ 23-17.21-5 Powers and duties of the
department.
The powers necessary to carry out the duties of this chapter shall be vested in
the director and are as follows:
(a) The director shall certify a patient safety organization
that has met the following criteria:
(1) has a mission statement with one of its purposes to
conduct activities to improve patient safety;
(2) has qualified staff and professionals capable of
reviewing and producing patient safety work product and recommendations for
system changes;
(3) is not a component of a health insurer or other entity
that provides health insurance to individuals or group health plans; and
(4) has a mission that does not create a conflict of interest
with the health care providers who will submit patient safety work product to
it.
(b) The director shall establish a quality of care advisory
committee that shall advise the department on PSO related issues. The advisory
committee shall consist of fourteen (14) members who are appointed by the
director and shall include no less than three (3) representatives of the
hospital community; three (3) representatives of the nursing facility/long term
care community; three (3) members of the freestanding ambulatory surgical
center community; and five (5) others from the community as determined by the
director. The term of office shall be for three (3) years. No member shall
serve more than two (2) consecutive terms. The committee shall advise the
department on effective methods for sharing with health care providers the
quality improvement information learned from the department's review of reports
and corrective action plans, including quality improvement practices, patient
safety issues, and preventative strategies.
(c) The director may promulgate rules and regulations in
order to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
History of Section.
(P.L. 2008, ch. 157, § 1; P.L. 2008, ch. 175, § 1.)
