EMTALA & Psych Patients: Compliance Requirements for Hospitals

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Whether you offer psychiatric care at your hospital or specialize in it, EMTALA and HIPAA requirements are strict. When a patient presents with a behavioral health condition and seeks treatment, there are certain procedures you must follow very closely to ensure you are complying with The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). Under EMTALA, hospitals are obligated to conduct a medical screening and psychiatric evaluation, as well as stabilize the patient while awaiting discharge, transfer to a bed within your hospital or transfer to another facility.

With the number of psychiatric patient beds falling drastically, psych patients have nowhere to go but the ED. The reality is that you could face potential civil penalties and monetary loss due to mishandling of psych patients if you are not complying with the rigorous EMTALA requirements. Join us for this eye-opening, 75-minute webinar to discover:

How EMTALA applies to the care of behavioral health patients
Rights & responsibilities of transferring & receiving hospitals
Strategies for keeping psych patients safe while awaiting transfer
HIPAA Policies & procedures you need to have for screening & stabilization

Program Highlights

EMTALA & the Psych Patient: Key Considerations to Comply with the Law

What facilities are subject to EMTALA & what facilities are not
Clarification of key terms & definitions you need to know
Duties for psych facilities and acute care with & without a psych unit
When EMTALA applies to freestanding psychiatric facilities

CMS Compliance: Policies & Procedures for Screening, Stabilizing & More

What to include - and not include - in your policies & procedures
Guidelines when conducting psychiatric screening
Tools available to assess the behavioral health patient
Obligations for stabilizing patients - critical guidance for hospitals

Psych Transfers: Rules to Follow to Avoid EMTALA Violation

Requirements for hospitals with & without a psych unit
Who is responsible for transfer, patient consent & hospitals accepting transfers
EMTALA violations & civil monetary penalties
Real life examples - EMTALA violations related to psych patients

Live Q&A: Have your questions answered by the expert!

About the Speaker

John C. West, JD, MHA, DFASHRM, CPHRM is the Principal of West Consulting Services, an independent risk management and patient safety consulting firm.

Mr. West has broad experience in loss prevention, including professional and general liability, occupational safety and health, and environmental impairment. He was certified in industrial hygiene by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene.
John holds a law degree from Chase College of Law, a master's degree in Health Services Administration from Xavier University, and a bachelor's degree (Biology) from the University of Cincinnati.
He holds the designation of distinguished fellow of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM). He received the Presidential Citation Award (2011) and the Distinguished Service Award from ASHRM (2001), which is its highest honor. John has also been a certified professional in healthcare risk management since 2006.
Mr. West is the author of the "Case Law Update" column, which has appeared quarterly in the Journal of Healthcare Risk Management, since 1994.
John is a regular speaker at national and regional risk management meetings and has published numerous articles on risk management.

Program Benefits

Discover how to comply with EMTALA rules impacting behavioral health patients, including how to screen, stabilize and transfer without violating the law.

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