MASSACHUSETTS- HOSPITAL MANDATORY REPORTING GUIDE
Massachusetts — Hospital Mandatory Reporting Guide
Category 1 — Adverse Events
State-defined adverse events / serious reportable events (Modified NQF list approach per OIG; confirm current state list).
Who Must Report: Licensed hospitals.
Deadline: Varies by system.
Destination: Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Citation: Source.
Attorney Notes: Mandatory reporting creates an external audit trail and supports regulatory‑noncompliance arguments.
Category 2 — Child Abuse / Neglect
Trigger: Reasonable cause to believe a child is suffering abuse or neglect.
Who Must Report: Mandated reporters including hospital staff.
Deadline: Immediately by phone; written report within 48 hours.
Destination: DCF.
Citation: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 119, § 51A.
Attorney Notes: Dual oral/written duty creates a discoverable timeline.
Category 3 — Weapon Injuries
Trigger: Treatment of gunshot or knife wound.
Who Must Report: Physicians, hospitals.
Deadline: As soon as practicable.
Destination: Local police.
Citation: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 112, § 12A.
Attorney Notes: Creates law‑enforcement notice trail relevant to timeline reconstruction.
Category 4 — Communicable Diseases
Trigger: Diagnosis or suspicion of a reportable disease.
Who Must Report: Providers and laboratories.
Deadline: Condition‑specific; many require immediate or 24‑hour reporting.
Destination: Massachusetts DPH.
Citation: Massachusetts Reportable Diseases List.
Attorney Notes: Supports outbreak‑control and foreseeability analysis.
Category 5 — Complaints / Investigations
Timeline: No statutory requirement for when DPH must initiate a hospital complaint investigation.
Citation: Complaint authority exists; no explicit timeline.
Attorney Notes: Delays may be scrutinized in serious patient‑safety cases.