Section 641.90.8. Team responsibilities.

The state medical examiner’s office will be responsible for the collection of data for sudden unexpected or nonnatural deaths for all children under the age of 18 years that occur in the state of Iowa. The state medical examiner’s office will review all child deaths in Iowa and will refer those deemed preventable for additional review by the child death review team. The state medical examiner’s office will be responsible for data entry. The team shall perform the following responsibilities:

       90.8(1) Collect, review, and analyze child death certificates and child death data, including patient records, other pertinent confidential information, and other information the review team deems appropriate concerning deaths of children under 18 years of age which have been deemed preventable by the state medical examiner’s office. An annual report will be prepared for the governor and the general assembly concerning the cause and manner of child deaths. The report shall include factual information obtained through review and recommendations regarding prevention of child deaths.

       90.8(2) Recommend to the governor and the general assembly interventions to prevent deaths of children based on an analysis of the cause and manner of such deaths.

       90.8(3) Recommend to the agencies represented on the review team and to other agencies changes which may prevent child deaths.

       90.8(4) Maintain the confidentiality of any patient records or other confidential information reviewed.

       90.8(5) If deemed appropriate by the team at any point in the review, the team may recommend to the department of human services, appropriate law enforcement agencies, and any person involved with child protection interventions that may prevent harm to a child who is related to or is living in the same home as a child whose case is reviewed by the team.

       90.8(6) Develop protocols for a child fatality review committee (see 641—Chapter 92) to be appointed by the state medical examiner on an ad hoc basis to immediately review the child abuse assessments which involve the fatality of a child under the age of 18 years. The state medical examiner shall appoint a medical examiner, a pediatrician, and a person involved with law enforcement to the committee.

       90.8(7) The team may establish subcommittees to which the team may delegate some or all of the team’s responsibilities set out in this rule.

[ARC 9248B, IAB 12/1/10, effective 1/5/11]