Public
Disclosure
Nearly
all records in our offices are public records and may be reviewed or
copied by members of the public. However, Washington law says some
information in those records has to be removed before the records
can be released. Our office accepts record requests, removes exempt
information, and provides the records to the public.
Can I request a list of health care
professionals or facilities?
How will we respond to your request?
When will I get the records requested?
Is there a cost to get records?
Contact
Information
For questions
related to public records, contact the Public Disclosure at:
Department of Health
Health Systems Quality Assurance
Public
Disclosure Record Center
PO Box 47865
Olympia, WA 98504-7865
Phone: 360-236-4836
Fax: 360.586.2171
E-mail:
PDRC@doh.wa.gov
You can write,
email, fax or telephone your request. We prefer requests in writing so we
are clear about what you want.
If you are
requesting copies of documents, please include the following information:
-
The name, mailing address, email address, phone and fax number of the
person requesting the records.
-
Date of request.
-
The specific nature of the request, including:
-
A description of requested records (name, complaint or
application file, complaint number, license number and date).
-
A description of the amount of information you need. Let us know
if you want all records on the subject or if you want just a
certain kind of record, or a particular record. This will help
us send exactly what you want. Examples of specific documents
include the following:
-
Original complaint.
-
Closure letter.
-
Investigative report. If you would like copies of any
documents referred to in the report, you would file a new
request for the specific documents.
-
Legal documents (Final Order after action is taken).
-
Summary of complaint.
-
License Application.
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Can I request a list of health care
professionals or facilities?
Please contact
us so we can determine eligibility.
How will we respond to your request?
We will send
you a letter within 5 business days of receiving your request. We will
respond in one of the following ways:
-
Provide the record.
-
Acknowledge that we have received the request. We will provide a
reasonable estimate of the time required to complete your request.
-
Deny the public record request. The response will include the specific
reason for the denial and our appeal process.
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When will I get the requested records?
We receive
around 10,000 requests for records every year. We fill them as rapidly as
possible. Sometimes we have the record easily available and can send it
within days. Other requests take longer depending on the location of the
records, the amount of information that has to be removed before they can be
sent, and the number of requests before yours.
Is there a cost to get records?
You will be
charged $.15 per page for paper copies if we provide you more than 50 pages
of records. You will need to pay before receiving the records. There is no
charge for less than 50 pages.
There is no
charge to inspect the records at our office in Tumwater. You will need to
make an appointment after we notify you the records are ready.
There is no
charge for records sent to you by email, but not all records can be sent
that way.
You will be
charged actual costs for a CD and mailing if records are sent to you on a
disc.
We may charge
for any computer reprogramming necessary to extract information from our
databases.
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