Colorado — Hospital Mandatory Reporting Guide

Category 1 — Adverse Events

State-defined adverse events / serious reportable events (State determined list approach per OIG; confirm current state list).

Who Must Report: Licensed hospitals.

Deadline: Varies by state system.

Destination: Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (Health Facilities & EMS Division).

Citation: Source.

Attorney Notes: Mandatory reporting creates an external audit trail; non-reporting or late reporting can support regulatory-noncompliance arguments and targeted discovery.

Category 2 — Child Abuse / Neglect

Trigger: Reasonable cause to know or suspect abuse.

Who Must Report: Health professionals, hospital staff.

Deadline: Immediately.

Destination: County DSS or law enforcement.

Citation: Colo. Rev. Stat. § 19-3-304.

Attorney Notes: Delay undermines institutional safeguards.

Category 3 — Weapon Injuries

Trigger: Treatment of gunshot or stab wound.

Who Must Report: Physicians.

Deadline: Immediately.

Destination: Local law enforcement.

Citation: Colo. Rev. Stat. § 12-240-139.

Attorney Notes: Mandatory law enforcement notice.

Category 4 — Communicable Diseases

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

Who Must Report: Healthcare providers and/or laboratories.

Deadline: Immediate/24 hours for urgent diseases; longer for others.

Destination: Local/state health department per CDPHE reporting instructions.

Citation: CDPHE – Report a Disease.

Attorney Notes: Time classes support compliance evaluation; timestamps support foreseeability arguments.

Category 5 — Complaints / Investigations

Timeline: Colorado law authorizes complaint investigations but does not impose a specific “within X days” statutory requirement.

Citation: Investigation authority exists; no defined statutory deadline identified.

Attorney Notes: Attorneys may focus on whether the Department’s prioritization and response were reasonable given the nature of the complaint.