A patient who dies in the Emergency Department (ED) at UTMB John
Sealy Hospital, League City Campus or Angleton Danbury is considered an
outpatient death.
For UTMB John Sealy and League City Campus, the pronouncing
physician is responsible for contacting the Medical Examiner Office.
For Danbury Hospital the pronouncing physician is responsible for
contacting the Justice of the Peace for Brazoria County (see Reportable
medical examiner deaths) link here.
Since the process in obtaining informed consent has changed (Jerry Carswell Act) the FORM 5012 must be completed on every death at UTMB Hospitals.
Following the death of a patient at UTMB hospitals, the
pronouncing physician, Nursing Service and Autopsy Service are
responsible for completing all the required sections of the FORM 5012.
If the death falls within the Galveston County Medical
Examiner’s or the Justice of the Peace jurisdiction, the pronouncing
physician completes sections 1; 3C; 4; and 5A of the FORM 5012.
If the case does not fall within the GCMEO or Justice
of the Peace jurisdiction, the pronouncing physician is responsible for
contacting the authorizing next-of-kin to discuss (section 3A) consent
to postmortem examination (autopsy), (section 3B) disposition of the
body and (section 4) disposition of organs, fluids, prosthetic devices
and tissue after postmortem examination (autopsy) with the authorizing
next-of-kin, and (section 5A) checklist.
Nursing Service will assist the pronouncing physician and review
the FORM 5012 before the decedent is transferred to the morgue or
released from the hospital unit, completing out section 5B.