PENNSYLVANIA- HOSPITAL MANDATORY REPORTING GUIDE
Pennsylvania — 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: Hospitals and certain licensed facilities.
Deadline: Varies by system.
Destination: Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Citation: Source.
Attorney Notes: Mandatory reporting supports regulatory‑noncompliance arguments and discovery into internal reviews.
Category 2 — Child Abuse / Neglect
Trigger: Reasonable cause to suspect child abuse.
Who Must Report: Mandated reporters including hospital staff.
Deadline: Immediately by phone; written report within 48 hours.
Destination: ChildLine or law enforcement.
Citation: 23 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 6311.
Attorney Notes: Dual oral/written duty creates a discoverable timeline.
Category 3 — Weapon Injuries
Trigger: Treatment of gunshot or life‑threatening stab wound.
Who Must Report: Physicians, hospitals.
Deadline: Immediately.
Destination: Police.
Citation: 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5106.
Attorney Notes: Creates a law‑enforcement notice trail relevant to reconstructing timelines.
Category 4 — Communicable Diseases
Trigger: Diagnosis, suspicion, or laboratory identification of a reportable disease or outbreak.
Who Must Report: Providers and laboratories.
Deadline: Condition‑specific; many require immediate or 24‑hour reporting.
Destination: Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Citation: Pennsylvania Reportable Diseases List.
Attorney Notes: Time‑class structure supports outbreak‑control and foreseeability analysis.
Category 5 — Complaints / Investigations
Timeline: Pennsylvania law authorizes complaint investigations but does not impose a statutory “start within X days” requirement.
Citation: Complaint authority exists; no explicit statutory timeline.
Attorney Notes: Delays may be scrutinized in serious patient‑safety cases.