Press release from the Fort Wayne-Allen County Health Department:
Patient safety ordinance takes effect June 1
Itinerant physicians can now register with the health department(May 25, 2010). – Physicians who must register under Allen County’s Patient Safety Ordinance beginning June 1 can now do so with the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health.
The Allen County Board of Commissioners passed the ordinance (Title 10, Article 8) in April.
The ordinance applies to any physician living outside Allen or a contiguous county who does not have admitting privileges in a local hospital and who offers any type of medical care to a person in Allen County.
Under the law, these itinerant medical providers are required to provide emergency contact information and designate an alternate physician with the health department and pay a one-time filing fee of $250. The form must be signed by the physician.
Once the form is properly completed and the fee paid, the department will issue a certificate of compliance. The certificate of compliance and a notice of patient rights must be displayed in view of patients.
In addition to registering with the health department, that same information must be provided to the patient, as well as all Allen County operating hospitals, emergency departments and urgent care providers.
The health department will review the contact information annually to make sure it is up-to-date and will investigate complaints.
Any person who violates any provisions of the ordinance is subject to a maximum fine of $1,000 for each violation and reported to the Indiana State Medical Licensing Board.
The health department is accepting registrations at its main office on the fifth floor of the City-County Building, 1 E. Main St. The forms and a copy the ordinance are also available online at www.allencountyhealth.com or by calling (260) 449-7561.
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