Arkansas — Hospital Mandatory Reporting Guide

Category 1 — Adverse Events

No statewide mandatory hospital adverse-event reporting system identified in OIG’s 2008 inventory (verify whether enacted/changed since 2008).

Who Must Report: N/A.

Deadline: N/A.

Destination: N/A.

Citation: Source.

Attorney Notes: Even without a statewide adverse-event system, hospitals may have other mandatory reporting duties and federal/contractual obligations.

Category 2 — Child Abuse / Neglect

Trigger: Reasonable cause to suspect maltreatment.

Who Must Report: Mandated reporters including hospital personnel.

Deadline: Immediately.

Destination: Child Abuse Hotline.

Citation: Ark. Code § 12-18-402.

Attorney Notes: Supports failure-to-protect claims.

Category 3 — Weapon Injuries

Trigger: Treatment of gunshot wound.

Who Must Report: Physicians.

Deadline: Immediately.

Destination: Local law enforcement.

Citation: Ark. Code § 12-12-602.

Attorney Notes: Supports criminal investigation linkage.

Category 4 — Communicable Diseases

Trigger: Diagnosis, suspicion, or lab identification of a reportable disease.

Who Must Report: Healthcare providers and/or laboratories.

Deadline: Many notifiable diseases require reporting within 24 hours.

Destination: Arkansas Department of Health.

Citation: Arkansas Dept. of Health – Mandatory Reportable Diseases.

Attorney Notes: Timestamps support notice/foreseeability and outbreak-control arguments.

Category 5 — Complaints / Investigations

Timeline: No statutory or regulatory timeframe is specified for when hospital complaint investigations must begin.

Citation: Agency policy rather than statutory requirement.

Attorney Notes: Delays may reflect inadequate oversight or inconsistent enforcement.