JLARC finds Washington Department of Health late on many hospital inspections and not reviewing adverse‑event corrective plans

A Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee preliminary report presented May 14 found shortcomings in the Department of Health’s oversight of hospital inspections, complaint investigations and hospital data reporting that limit the agency’s ability to ensure patient safety.

JLARC staff Zane Potter and Ashley Tranel told the committee that DOH did not complete many inspections on time, does not verify whether standards used by third‑party accrediting organizations are substantially equivalent to state requirements, and does not review hospitals’ corrective plans for reported adverse health events as state law authorizes.

Key findings presented to the committee included: • Washington has 103 hospitals that fall under DOH oversight, including 93 acute care hospitals and a small number of behavioral health hospitals;…