Texas Medical Record Retention Laws & Finding a Medical Records Custodian in Texas

If you’re getting ready to close your Texas medical practice, it’s important to have a clear understanding of medical record retention laws and that you find a professional medical records custodian that you can trust to fulfill records requests after you retire or move on to a different job. Looking for a trusted medical records custodian in Texas can be a challenging task. You need to ensure top quality, accuracy, and trusted service.

Desert River Solutions is a leading medical records custodian that provides electronic medical records extraction and document scanning services for medical and dental practices, hospitals, and related businesses. Our medical record management process and medical record storage facilities are HIPAA compliant. We are medical record management experts who convert paper records to electronic forms and assist with electronic health record (EHR) extraction at large volumes. turnaround.

Not sure how to handle Texas medical record retention legal requirements after closing your practice? Read on for more information about laws and hiring a custodian of medical records or contact us to learn more today.

Texas Medical Records Retention Laws

Texas Laws for Minors’ Medical Record Retention

Providers: 

If a patient was younger than 18 years of age when last treated by the physician, the medical records of the patient shall be maintained by the physician until the patient reaches age 21 or for seven years from the date of last treatment, whichever is longer.

Hospitals: 

If a patient was younger than 18 years of age when the patient was last treated, the hospital may authorize the disposal of medical records relating to the patient on or after the date of the patient’s 20th birthday or on or after the 10th anniversary of the date on which the patient was last treated, whichever date is later.

Texas Laws for Adults’ Medical Record Retention

Providers: 

A licensed physician shall maintain adequate medical records of a patient for a minimum of seven years from the anniversary date of the date of last treatment by the physician.

Hospitals: 

A hospital may authorize the disposal of any medical record on or after the 10th anniversary of the date on which the patient who is the subject of the record was last treated in the hospital.

Texas Medical Facility Closure Guidelines

  1. Notify Health Facility Licensing and your Health Facility Compliance Regional Office of the closure, including the termination date for the CLIA registration.
  2. Notify Health Facility Licensing in writing of the location where the medical records will be stored and the name and contact information for the custodian of these records.
  3. Notify, if applicable, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and your Fiscal Intermediary of the closure.
  4. Notify the Texas State Board of Pharmacy and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the closure.
  5. Notify the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Radiation Control Program of the closure.
  6. Notify the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Boiler Program of the closure.
  7. Notify the Texas Department of Transportation’s district office, in the district in which the hospital is located, for the removal of highway
    signs directing traffic to the hospital.
  8. Notify DSHS EMS-Trauma Systems and the local regional advisory committee (RAC), including EMS providers, of the closure.
  9. Notify the County Indigent Care Coordinator (for hospital districts).
  10. Return the hospital’s license to Health Facility Licensing when the hospital ceases operation. In cases of a Change of Ownership, please refer to those specific instructions.

NOTE: This list is provided for your convenience and may not include all agencies that require notification.

Read more on the Texas Health and Human Services Wesbite.

Texas Medical Record Retention Statutes

If you would like to read the laws in Texas pertaining to medical record retention yourself, visit these links:

Preparing Medical Records for Custodianship in Texas

Our medical record custodianship experts provide customized quotes based on your specific needs and the number of patient records or charts you have.

We take patient privacy seriously. Our medical record storage and document scanning solutions are all HIPAA-compliant and we use servers specially encrypted for medical record storage. HIPAA was designed to ensure the confidential handling of health records. All medical records scanning must be done in a manner that is compliant with HIPAA and its privacy regulations.

Because your patient’s records are filled with personal health information (PHI), they must remain private and secure at all times. This is not just a moral obligation to your patients, it’s a legal obligation, and it’s important that you partner with a trusted medical records custodian who can ensure the security of your patients’ record throughout the entire custodianship process. 

Medical Record Custodian Process:

  1. All physical patient files are securely shipped to our facility in Phoenix, Arizona.
  2. We scan your medical records and digitize if needed, and extract patient files from your EMR to house them ourselves.
  3. We create a custom records request landing page on our website for your patients.
  4. You give notice to your patients that we will be the custodian of your medical records, using a template we provide.
  5. You give notice to the Texas state medical board that Desert River Solutions is now your custodian of records.
  6. All health information requests go through us as your medical record custodian and you no longer have to do anything!
  7. Patients will be able to sign a request form, send it back securely, and receive any requested medical records in a prompt manner.

Learn More About Desert River Solutions Medical Records Custodian Services for Texas Medical Practices

When a healthcare facility or doctor’s office closes, hiring a custodian of medical records company to manage patient records makes it easier for doctors and staff to go on to their next adventure. In Texas, medical records must be retained for a minimum of 6 years. Desert River Solutions makes it easy for you to ensure your patients have access to their medical records for the legally required amount of time.

Contact us today to get a no-obligation quote on medical record custodian services for your Texas medical practice.

Legal Disclaimer: the information contained in this site is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.

Learn More About 
DRS Medical Record Custodian Services

When a healthcare facility or doctor’s office closes, hiring a custodian of medical records company to manage patient records makes it easier for doctors and staff to go on to their next adventure. Desert River Solutions makes it easy for you to ensure your patients have access to their medical records for the legally required amount of time.

Contact us today to get a no-obligation quote on medical record custodian services for your medical practice.