§16-39-1. Short Title

This article may be cited as the “Patient Safety Act of 2001.” The amendments made to this article during the 2021 Regular Session of the Legislature shall be known as “Mylissa Smiths Law.”

§16-39-2. Legislative Findings and Purpose

[Repealed.]

§16-39-3. Definitions

For purposes of this article, the following words and phrases have the following meanings: “Appropriate authority” means a federal, state, county, or municipal government body, agency or organization having jurisdiction over criminal law enforcement, regulatory violations, professional conduct or ethics, or waste or any member, officer, agent, representative, or supervisory employee thereof; “Clergy” means an […]

§16-39-4. Prohibition Against Discrimination or Retaliation

(a) No person may retaliate or discriminate in any manner against any health care worker because the worker, or any person acting on behalf of the worker: (1) Makes a good faith report, or is about to report, verbally or in writing, to the health care entity or appropriate authority an instance of wrongdoing or […]

§16-39-5. Confidentiality of Complaints to Government Agencies

The identity of a health care worker who complains in good faith to a government agency or department about the quality of care, services or conditions of a health care entity or any waste or wrongdoing by the health care entity shall remain confidential and may not be disclosed by any person except upon the […]

§16-39-6. Enforcement

(a) Any health care worker who believes that he or she has been retaliated or discriminated against in violation of section four of this article may file a civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction against the health care entity and the person believed to have violated section four of this article. (b) A […]

§16-39-7. Notice

Each health care entity shall post and keep posted, in conspicuous places on the premises of the health care entity where notices to employees and applicants for employment are customarily posted, a notice, to be prepared or approved by the commissioner, setting forth excerpts from, or summaries of, the pertinent provisions of this article and […]

§16-39-8. Visitation of a Patient in a Health Care Facility

(a) During a declared public health state of emergency for a contagious disease, a health care facility shall permit visitation of a patient. If the patients death is imminent, the health care facility shall allow visitation upon request at any time and frequency. In all other instances, the health care facility shall allow visitation once […]