Texas Health and Safety Code 773.0605 – Complaints and Investigations
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(a) The department shall track and keep records of:
(1) each complaint received by the department regarding emergency medical services providers and emergency medical services personnel;
(2) each investigation initiated by the department under this chapter; and
(3) each disciplinary action initiated by the department under this chapter.
(b) The department shall develop a formal process to refer complaints outside the department’s jurisdiction to the appropriate agency for disposition.
Terms Used In Texas Health and Safety Code 773.0605
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
(c) The department shall track the types of complaints received outside the department’s jurisdiction. The department shall separately track complaints outside the department’s jurisdiction relating to potential billing fraud and make information relating to those complaints available to the appropriate state agency.
(d) The department shall annually report statistical information regarding each complaint received, and each investigation or disciplinary action initiated, under this chapter. The report must include:
(1) the reason and basis for each complaint;
(2) the origin of each investigation, including whether the investigation:
(A) resulted from a complaint brought by a consumer;
(B) resulted from a complaint brought by another source; or
(C) was initiated by the department in the absence of a complaint;
(3) the average time to resolve each complaint from the date the complaint is received;
(4) the disposition of each investigation, including:
(A) the number of investigations commenced in which no disciplinary action was taken, and the reasons no disciplinary action was taken;
(B) the number of investigations resulting in disciplinary action, and the disciplinary actions taken; and
(C) the number of complaints referred to another agency for disposition; and
(5) the number, type, and age of each open investigation at the end of each fiscal year.
(e) The department shall make the report required by Subsection (d) available to the public through publication on the department’s website and on request.
(f) The department may not include in the report required by Subsection (d) any information, including personal information, that could be used to identify an individual involved in or the location of a complaint that has been dismissed or has not reached a final determination.