WASHINGTON STATE - HOSPITAL MANDATORY REORTING GUIDE
Washington — 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.
Deadline: Varies by system.
Destination: Washington State 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 believe a child has been abused or neglected.
Who Must Report: Mandated reporters including hospital staff.
Deadline: Immediately.
Destination: CPS or law enforcement.
Citation: Wash. Rev. Code § 26.44.030.
Attorney Notes: Immediate duty supports negligence‑per‑se theories and creates a discoverable timeline.
Category 3 — Weapon Injuries
Trigger: Treatment of a gunshot or stab wound.
Who Must Report: Physicians, hospitals.
Deadline: As soon as reasonably possible.
Destination: Local law enforcement.
Citation: Wash. Rev. Code § 70.41.440.
Attorney Notes: Creates a law‑enforcement notice trail relevant to reconstructing timelines and assessing institutional response.
Category 4 — Communicable Diseases
Trigger: Diagnosis, suspicion, or laboratory identification of a reportable disease or outbreak.
Who Must Report: Providers and laboratories; hospitals report qualifying diagnoses and outbreak clusters.
Deadline: Condition‑specific; many require immediate or 24‑hour reporting.
Destination: Washington State Department of Health.
Citation: Washington Notifiable Conditions List.
Attorney Notes: Time‑class structure supports outbreak‑control and foreseeability analysis; timestamps are high‑value evidence.
Category 5 — Complaints / Investigations
Timeline: Washington law authorizes complaint investigations for hospitals but does not impose a statutory “start within X days” requirement.
Citation: Complaint authority exists; no explicit statutory timeline.
Attorney Notes: Absence of a codified timeline allows attorneys to scrutinize delays in serious patient‑safety cases.