1.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, ‘sentinel event’ means:

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(a) An event included in Appendix A of ‘Serious Reportable Events in Healthcare–2011 Update: A Consensus Report,’ published by the National Quality Forum; or

(b) Any death that occurs in a health facility.

2.  If the publication described in subsection 1 is revised, the term ‘sentinel events’ includes, without limitation, the events included on the most current version of the list of serious reportable events published by the National Quality Forum as it exists on the effective date of the revision which is deemed to be:

(a) January 1 of the year following the publication of the revision if the revision is published on or after January 1 but before July 1 of the year in which the revision is published; or

(b) July 1 of the year following the publication of the revision if the revision is published on or after July 1 of the year in which the revision is published but before January 1 of the year after the revision is published.

3.  If the National Quality Forum ceases to exist, the most current version of the list shall be deemed to be the last version of the publication in existence before the National Quality Forum ceased to exist.