Section 1279.8 Of Article 3. Regulations From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 2. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 3.
1279.8
. (a) Every health facility, as defined in subdivision (c),
(d), (e), (g), (h), (i), or (m) of Section 1250, shall, for the
purpose of addressing issues that arise when a patient is missing
from the facility, develop and comply with an absentee notification
plan as part of the written plans and procedures that are required
pursuant to federal or state law. The plan shall include and be
limited to the following: a requirement that an administrator of the
facility, or his or her designee, inform the patient's authorized
representative when that patient is missing from the facility and the
circumstances in which an administrator of the facility, or his or
her designee, shall notify local law enforcement when a patient is
missing from the facility.
(b) This section shall not apply to state hospitals under the
jurisdiction of the State Department of State Hospitals when the
executive director of the state hospital, or his or her designee,
determines that informing the patient's authorized representative
that a patient is missing will create a risk to the safety and
security of the state hospital.