WAC 246-101-305   Duties of the health care facility.  (1) Health care facilities shall:

     (a) Notify the local health department where the patient resides, or, in the event that patient residence cannot be determined, the local health department where the health care facility is located, regarding:

     (i) Cases of notifiable conditions specified as notifiable to the local health department in Table HF-1 of WAC 246-101-301 that occur or are treated in the health care facility.

     (ii) Cases of conditions specified as notifiable by the local health officer within that health officer's jurisdiction that occur or are treated in the health care facility.

     (iii) Suspected cases of notifiable conditions for conditions that are designated immediately notifiable in Table HF-1 of WAC 246-101-301 that occur or are treated in the health care facility.

     (iv) Outbreaks or suspected outbreaks of disease that occur or are treated in the health care facility including, but not limited to, suspected or confirmed outbreaks of varicella, influenza, viral meningitis, health care-associated infection suspected due to contaminated products or devices, or environmentally related disease.

     (v) Known barriers which might impede or prevent compliance with orders for infection control or quarantine; and

     (vi) Name, address, and other pertinent information for any case, suspected case or carrier refusing to comply with prescribed infection control measures.

     (b) Notify the department of conditions designated as notifiable to the local health department when:

     (i) A local health department is closed or representatives of the local health department are unavailable at the time a case or suspected case of an immediately notifiable condition as specified in Table HF-1 of WAC 246-101-301 occurs;

     (ii) A local health department is closed or representatives of the local health department are unavailable at the time an outbreak or suspected outbreak of communicable disease occurs.

     (c) Notify the department as specified in Table HF-1 of WAC 246-101-301 regarding cases of notifiable conditions specified as notifiable to the department.

     (d) Notify the department of cancer incidence as required by chapter 246-430 WAC.

     (e) Ensure that positive preliminary test results and positive final test results for notifiable conditions of specimens referred to laboratories outside of Washington for testing are correctly notified to the correct local health department as specified in Table Lab-1 of WAC 246-101-201. This requirement can be satisfied by:

     (i) Arranging for the referral laboratory to notify the local health department, the department, or both; or

     (ii) Receiving the test result from the referral laboratory, and forwarding the notification to the local health department, the department, or both.

     (f) Cooperate with public health authorities during investigation of:

     (i) Circumstances of a case or suspected case of a notifiable condition or other communicable disease; and

     (ii) An outbreak or suspected outbreak of disease.

     (g) Provide adequate and understandable instruction in disease control measures to each patient who has been diagnosed with a case of a communicable disease, and to other persons who may have been exposed to the communicable disease.

     (h) Maintain an infection control program as described in WAC 246-320-176 for hospitals and WAC 246-330-176 for ambulatory surgical facilities.

     (2) Health care facilities may assume the burden of notification for health care providers practicing within the health care facility where more than one health care provider is in attendance for a patient with a notifiable condition.

     (3) Health care facilities may not assume the burden of notification for laboratories within the health care facility. Laboratories within a health care facility must submit specimens to the Washington state public health laboratories and notify public health authorities of notifiable conditions as specified in Table Lab-1 of WAC 246-101-201.

     (4) By July 1, 2011, when ordering a laboratory test for a notifiable condition, health care facilities must provide the laboratory with the following information for each test order:

     (a) Patient name;

     (b) Patient address including zip code;

     (c) Patient date of birth;

     (d) Patient sex;

     (e) Name of the principal health care provider;

     (f) Telephone number of the principal health care provider;

     (g) Type of test requested;

     (h) Type of specimen;

     (i) Date of ordering specimen collection.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050. 11-02-065, § 246-101-305, filed 1/4/11, effective 2/4/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050, 43.70.545 and 70.104.030. 00-23-120, § 246-101-305, filed 11/22/00, effective 12/23/00.]