Effective 28 Aug 2014

210.196. Hospitals and physicians, rules authorized for protocol and identifying suspicious deaths — child death pathologist, qualification, certification — rules, procedure — records, disclosure. — 1. The director of the department of health and senior services, in consultation with the director of the department of social services, shall promulgate rules, guidelines and protocols for hospitals and physicians to use to help them to identify suspicious deaths of children under the age of eighteen years, who are eligible to receive a certificate of live birth.

2. The director of the department of health and senior services shall promulgate rules for the certification of child death pathologists and shall develop protocols for such pathologists. A certified child death pathologist shall be a board-certified forensic pathologist or a board-certified pathologist who through special training or experience is deemed qualified in the area of child fatalities by the department of health and senior services.

3. Except as provided in section 630.167, any hospital, physician, medical professional, mental health professional, or department of mental health facility shall disclose upon request all records, medical or social, of any child eligible to receive a certificate of live birth under the age of eighteen who has died to the coroner or medical examiner, children's division representative, or public health representative who is a member of the local child fatality review panel established pursuant to section 210.192 to investigate the child's death. Any legally recognized privileged communication, except that between attorney and client, shall not apply to situations involving the death of a child under the age of eighteen years, who is eligible to receive a certificate of live birth.

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(L. 1991 H.B. 185 § 4, A.L. 1993 S.B. 52, A.L. 1994 S.B. 595, A.L. 1995 S.B. 3, A.L. 2014 H.B. 1299 Revision)