HLS 20RS-498 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 557
BY REPRESENTATIVE DUPLESSIS
HEALTH SERVICES: Provides relative to requiring each hospital or free-standing birthing
center in the state of Louisiana to perform a comprehensive systematic analysis for
each maternal death that occurs
1 AN ACT
2To enact R.S. 40:2017.13, relative to the performance of a comprehensive systematic
3 analysis for maternal deaths; to provide for definitions; to provide that a hospital or
4 free-standing birth center licensed by the Louisiana Department of Health shall
5 designate a performance improvement coordinator; to provide for when a
6 comprehensive systemic analysis shall be conducted; to provide that the Commission
7 on Perinatal Care and Prevention of Infant Mortality shall participate in the analysis
8 of data; to provide for consultations by the Commission on Perinatal Care and
9 Prevention of Infant Mortality; to provide for an effective date; and to provide for
10 related matters.
11Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
12 Section 1. R.S. 40:2017.13 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
13 ยง2017.13. Hospitals and free-standing birth centers; comprehensive systemic
14 analysis of maternal deaths
15 A. As used in this Section, the following terms have the meaning ascribed
16 to them in this Subsection:
17 (1) "Commission" means the Commission on Perinatal Care and Prevention
18 of Infant Mortality provided for in R.S. 40:2018.
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HB NO. 557
1 (2) "Comprehensive systematic analysis" means an investigation and
2 analysis into the causal and contributing factors of an adverse health event along
3 with related identification and implementation of corrective actions for preventing
4 or lessening the probability of future adverse events.
5 (3) "Maternal death" means death of an individual while pregnant or within
6 one year of termination of pregnancy, regardless of the duration and site of the
7 pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its
8 management, but not from a accidental or incidental cause.
9 (4) "Performance improvement coordinator" means a person designated by
10 a hospital or free-standing birth center to manage the coordination and oversight of
11 the internal comprehensive systematic analysis process and serve as the designee for
12 communication with the Louisiana Department of Health and Commission on
13 Perinatal Care and Prevention of Infant Mortality regarding maternal death review.
14 B. Each entity licensed by the Louisiana Department of Health as a hospital
15 or free-standing birth center shall adopt written policies and procedures and be
16 required to undertake all of the following actions concerning maternal deaths:
17 (1) Designate a performance improvement coordinator.
18 (2) Conduct a comprehensive systematic analysis for each maternal death
19 occurring in the hospital or free-standing birth center, within forty-five days of the
20 death. The analysis shall be reviewed by the designated performance improvement
21 coordinator, who may consult with and allow the participation of the commission in
22 preparing the analysis or any other entity whose consultation and preparation may
23 be used by the hospital or the free-standing birth center.
24 (3) Any person participating in a comprehensive risk analysis pursuant to the
25 provisions of this Section shall constitute participation in a committee that
26 determines the root cause analysis of a sentinel event and that person and all
27 activities, documents, and records produced therefrom shall be subject to the
28 provisions of R.S. 13:3715.3.
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HB NO. 557
1 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
2signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
3by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
4vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
5effective on the day following such approval.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 557 Original 2020 Regular Session Duplessis
Abstract: Provides that a hospital or free-standing birth center licensed by the La. Dept. of
Health shall perform a comprehensive systematic analysis for all maternal deaths.
Proposed law provides that a hospital or free-standing birth center licensed by the La. Dept.
of Health (LDH) shall complete a comprehensive systematic analysis for all maternal deaths
occurring in the hospital or within forty-five days of the death. Further provides that the
analysis shall be reviewed by the hospitals designated performance improvement coordinator
and the coordinator may consult with and allow participation by the Commission on
Perinatal Care and Prevention of Infant Mortality (commission) as described in present law.
Proposed law also provides that the hospitals or free-standing birth centers may consult with
other entities to perform the analysis.
Proposed law provides that the hospital or free-standing birth center shall designate a
performance improvement coordinator.
Proposed law provides that any person participating in a comprehensive systematic analysis
activity pursuant to the provisions of proposed law constitute as participation in the
committee to determine a root cause analysis of a sentinel event and such person and all
activities, documents, and records generated therefrom shall be subject to present law, R.S.
13:3715.3.
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 40:2017.13)
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.