(a) Upon notification of a death requiring an administrative death review, the community center CEO or designee shall appoint a physician or registered nurse as the investigating officer, as defined in this subchapter, who shall begin a preliminary investigation based upon the deceased's medical record, particularly the circumstances leading to the transfer to a facility or outpatient status where death occurred, and other information he/she deems appropriate.
(b) Within seven working days of the knowledge of death, the CEO, and investigating officer shall use the preliminary investigation information to determine whether the death should be reviewed clinically, in compliance with §405.274 of this subchapter (relating to Community Centers: Clinical Death Review).
  (1) The determination shall be based upon the possible need for review of clinical policies and procedures, the opportunity for professional education, and/or the opportunity to improve patient care through medical practice.
  (2) It shall also be determined whether a preliminary administrative death review should proceed before the completion of the clinical death review, addressing the issue described in §405.275(c)(2) of this subchapter (relating to Community Centers: Administrative Death Review) or should be deferred until the submission of the recommendations of the clinical death review committee.
  (3) The deliberations and findings of a preliminary administrative death review will be considered at the final administrative death review after receipt of the recommendations of the clinical death review committee.
(c) If it has been determined that a clinical death review is unnecessary, then the CEO shall be responsible for forwarding to the administrative death review committee the following:
  (1) a summary of the preliminary investigation information;
  (2) a copy of the death/discharge summary, if available;
  (3) a copy of the death certificate, bearing a valid diagnosis, if available;
  (4) a copy of the preliminary or full autopsy report, if available; and
  (5) the probable final diagnosis, including contributory causes, and reasons for variance from the death certificate, if any.

Source Note: The provisions of this §405.272 adopted to be effective June 1, 1993, 18 TexReg 2133; amended to be effective May 26, 2022, 47 TexReg 3056