EMTALA Compliance Update
Speaker
Robert A. Bitterman, MD, JD, FACEP
Dr. Bitterman is CEO of Healthcare & Investment Consulting, Inc. and specializes in federal laws and regulations governing hospital-based emergency services, and emergency medicine risk management issues. He is frequently an invited national speaker and has published extensively on EMTALA and ED risk management issues.
Description
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) governs virtually every aspect of hospital-based emergency services. Failure to comply with this federal law subjects the hospital to costly government investigations, adverse public relations, potential monetary penalties and/or termination from Medicare, and substantial civil liability. Hospital leaders, managers, physicians, and staff absolutely must have a strong working knowledge of the law.
This presentation will address the key components of EMTALA – medical screening including OB patients, stabilization, transferring patients, accepting patients in transfer, and physician on-call issues. It will also address what’s new or trending related to the law and controversial hot topics
Lastly, the course will provide hospitals with the information, documentation, and tools necessary to implement policies and practices which ensure compliance with EMTALA, and which minimize the risk of government regulatory enforcement or civil liability under the law.
Learning Objectives
At the end of the webinar, the participant should be able to:
- Recognize the issues that must be addressed through hospital-wide policies, procedures, and education so that the administrative, nursing, and medical staff leadership ensure the hospital complies with EMTALA. Identify key issues related to EMTALA that need to be included in implementation and practice.
- Differentiate the legal duties related to medical screening (including the scope of the screening exam), stabilizing treatment, transfers, and patients who leave or refuse care in the ED of ED patients.
- Identify the legal requirements related to providing on-call physician services for the ED or the inpatient setting, and recognize the legal duties related to transfers and the acceptance of patients in transfer from other hospitals.
- Recommend methods to enhance compliance with EMTALA, minimize potential risks and liability, and improve patient care.
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Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider number 12205 for 1 contact hour.
This meeting has been submitted for approval for 1 contact hour of Continuing Education Credit toward fulfillment of the requirements of ASHRM designations of FASHRM (Fellow) and DFASHRM (Distinguished Fellow) and towards CPHRM renewal.