Incidents Submission Portal for Health Care Regulation Providers

Texas Health and Human Services Commission has introduced a new online incidents portal under Texas Unified Licensure Information Portal for the following licensed and/or certified Texas Health and Human Services providers to submit incidents online.

Provider’s user guide to submitting incidents online (PDF)

Depending on their reporting guidelines and HHS rules, providers may be required to report incidents including, but not limited to:

Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASC)

ASCs must report in 10 business days or as soon as possible.

The following must be reported:

  1. The death of a patient while under the care of the ASC.
  2. The transfer of a patient to a hospital.
  3. Patient development of complications within 24 hours of discharge from the ASC resulting in admission to a hospital
  4. A patient stay exceeding 23 hours
  5. Any theft of drugs and/or diversion of controlled drugs
  6. Abuse and Neglect
  7. Illegal, unprofessional or unethical conduct that relates to the operation of the facility or its services.

Rule/Statute:

  • Health and Safety Code Sec. 161.132
  • 25 TAC § 135.26 (a)(c)

Birthing Centers

Birthing centers must report the incidents within 5 calendar days.

The following must be reported:

  1. Death of a client, newborn or death of a fetus during the course of labor in the center;
  2. Death of a client or newborn occurring within 24 hours. of discharge or transfer to another facility.

Rule/Statute:

  • 25 TAC §137.54

Clinical Laboratories

Clinical Laboratories must report the incidents as soon as possible.

The following must be reported:

  1. Transfusion related fatalities must be reported to the Food and Drug Administration.

Rule/Statute:

  • 42 Code of Federal Regulations §493.1103(d)

Community Mental Health Center

Community Mental Health Centers must report the incidents as soon as possible.

The following must be reported:

  1. Abuse and Neglect
  2. Illegal, unprofessional or unethical conduct that relates to the operation of the facility or its services.

Rule/Statute:

  • Health and Safety Code Sec. 161.132

End Stage Renal Disease Facilities (ESRD)

ESRDs must report the incidents within 10 working days.

The following must be reported:

  1. Death of a dialysis patient, which occurs in the facility, at home or in a hospital
  2. Hospital transfers
  3. Conversion of staff or a patient to hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg) positive
  4. Involuntary transfer or discharge of a patient
  5. A fire in the facility

Rule/Statute:

  • 25 TAC §117.48

Freestanding Emergency Medical Care (FEMC) facilities

FEMC facilities must report the incidents as soon as possible or within 10 business days.

The following must be reported:

  1. Abuse, neglect, exploitation
  2. Illegal, unethical or unprofessional conduct
  3. Death of a patient while under the care of the facility
  4. A patient stay exceeding 23 hours
  5. 9-1-1 activation
  6. Fires
  7. Drug diversions must be reported in accordance with federal/state law and to facility CEO

Rule/Statute:

  • 26 TAC §509.61
  • 25 TAC §1.204 and §1.205
  • 26 TAC §509.62

Hospitals

Hospitals must report the incidents as soon as possible.

The following must be reported:

  1. Abuse/neglect
  2. Illegal, unprofessional, or unethical conduct

Laboratory-confirmed surgical site infections for

  1. colon surgeries
  2. abdominal hysterectomies

General hospitals must also report:

  1. laboratory-confirmed central line-associated primary bloodstream infections, including the causative pathogen, occurring in any special care setting in the hospital
  2. the incidence of respiratory syncytial virus occurring in any pediatric inpatient unit in the hospital

Hospitals must submit reports required under HSC Chapter 98 to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network or the Texas Health Care Safety Network.

Hospitals must report a health care-associated adverse condition or event for which the Medicare program will not provide additional payment to the facility under a CMS policy and National Quality Forum Adverse Events (listed below)

  1. Surgical/Invasive Procedure:
    1. Surgery or other invasive procedure performed on the wrong site
    2. Surgery or other invasive procedure performed on the wrong patient
    3. Wrong surgical or other invasive procedure performed on a patient
    4. Unintended retention of a foreign object in a patient after surgery or other invasive procedure
    5. Intraoperative or immediately postoperative/post-procedure death in an ASA Class 1 (i.e. normal, healthy) patient
  2. Product/Device Events
    1. Patient death or serious injury associated with the use of contaminated drugs, devices or biologics provided by the healthcare setting
    2. Patient death or serious injury associated with the use or function of a device in patient care, in which the device is used or functions other than as intended
    3. Patient death or serious injury associated with intravascular air embolism that occurs while being cared for in a healthcare setting
  3. Patient Protection Events
    1. Discharge or release of a patient/resident of any age, who is unable to make decisions, to other than an authorized person
    2. Patient death or serious injury associated with patient elopement (disappearance)
  4. Patient suicide, attempted suicide, or self-harm that results in serious injury, while being cared for in a healthcare setting
  5. Care Management Events
    1. Patient death or serious injury associated with a medication error (e.g., errors involving the wrong drug, wrong dose, wrong patient, wrong time, wrong rate, wrong preparation or wrong route of administration)
    2. Patient death or serious injury associated with unsafe administration of blood products
    3. Maternal death or serious injury associated with labor or delivery in a low-risk pregnancy while being cared for in a healthcare setting
    4. Death or serious injury of a neonate associated with labor or delivery in a low-risk pregnancy
    5. Patient death or serious injury associated with a fall while being cared for in a healthcare setting
    6. Any Stage 3, Stage 4 and unstageable pressure ulcers acquired after admission/presentation to a healthcare setting
    7. Artificial insemination with the wrong donor sperm or wrong egg
    8. Patient death or serious injury resulting from the irretrievable loss of an irreplaceable biological specimen
    9. Patient death or serious injury resulting from failure to follow up or communicate laboratory, pathology or radiology test results
  6. Environmental Events
    1. Patient or staff death or serious injury associated with an electric shock in the course of a patient care process in a healthcare setting
    2. Any incident in which systems designated for oxygen or other gas to be delivered to a patient contains no gas, the wrong gas or are contaminated by toxic substances
    3. Patient or staff death or serious injury associated with a burn incurred from any source in the course of a patient care process in a healthcare setting
    4. Patient death or serious injury associated with the use of physical restraints or bedrails while being cared for in a healthcare setting
  7. Radiologic Events
    1. Death or serious injury of a patient or staff associated with the introduction of a metallic object into the MRI area
  8. Potential Criminal Events
    1. Any instance of care ordered by or provided by someone impersonating a physician, nurse, pharmacist or other licensed healthcare provider
    2. Abduction of a patient/resident of any age
    3. Sexual abuse/assault on a patient or staff member within or on the grounds of a healthcare setting
    4. Death or serious injury of a patient or staff member resulting from a physical assault (i.e., battery) that occurs within or on the grounds of a healthcare setting

Rule/Statute:

  • 25 TAC §133.47(f)(3)
  • 25 TAC §1.204 and §1.205
  • Health and Safety Code Sec. 161.132
  • Health and Safety Code §98.103
  • Health and Safety Code Sec. 98.1045
  • Health and Safety Code Sec. 171.006
  • 25 TAC §139.5
  • 25 TAC §200

Private Psychiatric Hospitals and Crisis Stabilization Units

Private Psychiatric Hospitals and Crisis Stabilization Units must report the incidents as soon as possible.

The following must be reported:

  1. Abuse, neglect, exploitation
  2. Illegal, unethical or unprofessional conduct
  3. Abuse or neglect of a child
  4. Abuse, neglect or exploitation of an elderly/disabled person
  5. Abuse and neglect of individuals with mental illness and illegal, unethical or unprofessional conduct

Rule/Statute:

  • 26 TAC §510.46
  • 25 TAC §1.204 and §1.205

Psychiatric Hospitals

Psychiatric Hospitals must report the incidents as soon as possible.

The following must be reported:

  1. Abuse and Neglect
  2. Illegal, unprofessional or unethical conduct that relates to the operation of the facility or its services

Rule/Statute:

  • Health and Safety Code Sec. 161.132

Special Care Facilities

Special Care Facilities must report the incidents as soon as possible.

The following must be reported:

  1. Abuse or neglect of a child
  2. Abuse, neglect or exploitation of an elderly or disabled person

Rule/Statute:

  • 26 TAC §506.33
  • 25 TAC §1.204 and §1.205

Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities

Special Care Facilities must report the incidents as soon as possible or within 2 business days.

The following must be reported:

  1. Abuse, neglect or exploitation of a client/participant
  2. Report child and elderly abuse/neglect to DFPS
  3. Report sexual exploitation to prosecuting attorney/state licensing board
  4. Abuse and Neglect
  5. Illegal, unprofessional or unethical conduct that relates to the operation of the facility or its services

Rule/Statute:

  • 25 TAC §448.403
  • Health and Safety Code Sec. 161.132

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I report an incident?

You can report an incident online at any time, day or night by following the link at the top of this page.

Health Care Regulation (HCR) providers can submit the incidents by following the link at the top of the page. Providers are not required to login to submit online. There are several required fields which must be completed before you can submit your provider incident report. Links to continue to the next page or to go back to the previous page will be provided.

Narrative sections will have maximum character limits and the application will "timeout" after 30 minutes of inactivity if the application is open and the incident not successfully transmitted.

A confirmation number will be provided when the incident has been successfully transmitted. This number should be referenced on your Provider Investigation Report Form (applicable to long-term care providers only.)

Be sure to print a copy of the confirmation page for your records.

NO additional contact from HHS intake staff will occur when you use the online application. HHS intake staff would only contact you if additional clarification or more details are needed regarding the incident to complete triage and prioritization of the intake.

Providers may also report by speaking to a live agent during business hours (Monday-Friday 7 am-7 pm.) Call 888-973-0022; option 4 for Health Care Regulation providers; option 8 for substance abuse providers. If you call outside those hours, leave a message. An employee will call you back by the next workday.

What information do I need to report an incident?

You need to provide the following information:

  • Your name and title.
  • Primary and secondary phone numbers, including area code, where you can be reached.
  • The name and address of the provider on whose behalf you are making the report. Include license number or facility ID, if applicable.
  • Whether or not the incident was reported to the police or the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Please include the name of the employee who made the report and the DFPS call ID reference number or the police report number.
  • The name, age, date of birth and Social Security number of the person about whom you are making the report. In addition, we need to know:
    • If special supervision was required
    • The person's level of cognition
    • The person's pertinent medical history
    • If there was a history of similar or prior incidents
  • The date and time you first learned of the incident and a brief narrative summary of the reportable incident. Please include the names of any alleged perpetrators or witnesses.
  • The date, time and results of any assessment conducted, including findings of injury or adverse effects noted.
  • Type of treatment provided, and when and where treatment was provided.
  • The immediate action taken to protect other people and to prevent occurrences of similar incidents.
  • The name(s) of anyone else you notified about the incident.
  • Other questions, specific to provider type, may be asked.