The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee reviewed and approved for distribution a proposed final report concluding the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) did not complete statutory inspections of acute care hospitals on time, did not consistently verify accrediting organization standards, and did not routinely review hospital plans to address adverse health events.

JLARC staff presenters Zane Potter and Ashley Tranel told the committee on July 16, 2025 that DOH was late on 72 percent of acute care hospital inspections as of December 2024 when measured by the department’s approach. Potter said DOH calculates the inspection average using the days between the last three inspections, and that state law requires inspections on average at least every 18 months but does not specify how to calculate that average.

The report recommended the Legislature clarify the allowable maximum time between inspections and the method for calculating the 18‑month average; it also recommended DOH meet statutory timelines and report inspection performance to the Legislature. The report further recommended that DOH verify that accrediting organizations’ standards are substantially equivalent to state requirements and enforce existing requirements that hospitals provide documentary proof of passing third‑party inspections.

On complaints, JLARC staff said DOH handled required patient‑well‑being investigations but that only two of about 3,000 complaints in the past decade were in languages other than English. The auditors recommended DOH assess whether language access barriers limit use of the complaint system and, if so, implement outreach and translation measures.

Regarding data, JLARC found DOH posts hospital data but provides limited public analysis and does not review hospitals’ corrective plans for adverse health events, which may hamper prevention efforts. JLARC recommended DOH review adverse‑event corrective plans and provide feedback to hospitals and make hospital data more accessible and relevant to the public.

DOH representatives Kristen Peterson and Ramiro Cantu told the committee the agency concurs with all six recommendations and has already expanded public dashboards for adverse event reporting. The committee approved the report for distribution by unanimous voice vote.