Ordinance No. 9,622ORDINANCE NO. 9622
• AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN,
TEXAS, AUTHORIZING AN AGREEMENT WITH THE HOUSTON/HARRIS
COUNTY CHILD FATALITY REVIEW TEAM TO PROVIDE COPIES OF
REGISTERED DEATH CERTIFICATES FOR THE REVIEW OF CHILD
FATALITIES AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A STATE CENTRAL
REGISTRY FOR SUCH FATALITIES; AND PROVIDING FOR THE
EFFECTIVE DATE THEREOF.
CJ
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN,
TEXAS:
Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas, hereby authorizes
the City Manager to execute and the City Clerk to attest to an agreement with the Houston/Hamis
County Child Fatality Review Team to provide copies of registered death certificates for the
review of child fatalities and the establishment of a state central registry for such fatalities. A
copy of said agreement is attached hereto, marked Exhibit "A," and made a part hereof for all
intents and purposes.
Section 2: This ordinance shall take effect immediately from and after its passage by
the City Council of the City of Baytown.
INTRODUCED, READ and PASSED by the affirmative vote of the City Council of the
City of Baytown this the l I 1 day of September, 2003.
PETE C. ALFAR , ayor
ATTEST:
r�.
G--NF G--NFN YV. SMITH, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
ACIO RAMIREZ, S City Attorney
FAKaren\Files \City Council\ Ordinances\ HoustonHarrisChiId Fatal ityRcviewTeamContract .doc
Houston /Harris County Child Fatality Review Team
Interagency Agreement
Whereas, the parties are vested with the authority to promote and protect the public health and safety
and to provide services which improve the well being of Harris County, Texas children and their families.
Whereas, the parties agree that they are mutually served by the establishment of a multi - agency, multi -
professional child fatality review team, and that the outcome of such reviews will be the identification
of preventable child deaths and recommendations for intervention and prevention strategies.
Whereas, the objectives of a child fatality review team are agreed to be:
• promote cooperation, communication and coordination among agencies involved in responding to
child deaths
• assure the accurate inventory of child fatalities by age, location, cause, manner and circumstance
• support adequate child death investigation and certification
• establish investigative guidelines and recommendations for child fatalities
• improve recognition of child deaths from abuse and neglect, genetic diseases, inadequate medical
care, and public health dangers through analysis of patterns and trends in child fatalities
• enhance the general awareness of child deaths through the understanding of how and why children
die
• identify system -based impediments to child health and safety, that when removed will ultimately
reduce the number of preventable child deaths
• initiate local prevention efforts to reduce the number of preventable child deaths as indicated by
team findings
Whereas, the parties agree that the Houston /Harris County Child Fatality Review Team may include
the following professionals:
• prosecutor
• medical examiner
• pediatric pathologist
• pediatrician
• child protective services
• sheriff
• police
• public health officer
• EMS personnel
Whereas, the parties agree the review process requires case specific sharing of records and
confidentiality is inherent in many of the involved reports, there will be clear measures taken to
protect confidentiality.
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Houston /Harris County Child Fatality Review Team - Interagency Agreement
E �►.4 111'.11 ►1
page 2
Whereas, the parties agree that the signing of the Interagency Agreement does not waive or abandon
0y absolute or qualified governmental immunities or privileges held by any of the team members in
heir individual or official capacities.
Whereas, the parties agree that the Houston /Harris County Child Fatality Review Team will not
disclose to the public transactions at review meetings, except as necessary to carry out the team's
review purposes and duties.
Now therefore, it is agreed that all team members will sign a confidentiality agreement which
prohibits any unauthorized dissemination of information beyond the purpose of the review process.
Team members agree to meet on a regular basis to review child fatality cases. The team shall
maintain in a timely manner as practicable with resources available to the team a local registry of
child fatality cases it reviewed. The team shall submit in a timely manner as practicable given the
resources available to the team, data reports on deaths reviewed as specified by state committee to
the Bureau of Vital Statistics of the Texas Department of Health where it will be maintained for the
purpose of establishing a state central registry for child fatalities with standardized data from child
fatality review teams throughout Texas.
Signature of agency head or team representative represents acceptance of this agreement for a term
of one year from date of signature. This agreement may be renewed or renegotiated at the end of
the one year term.
Signature page is attached to this document.
is
,,Houston/Harris County Child Fatality Review Team - Interagency Agreement
age 3 - January 31, 2003
Complete the following and return to:
Sharon M. Derrick, Ph.D.
CFRT Coordinator
Office of Planning and Assessment/ Epidemiology
Harris County Public Health Services
2223 West Loop South
Houston, TX 77027
agency name
agency head - name
agency head - signature (optional) - Date
team representative - name
team representative - signature - Date
contact information
phone: pager:
fax:
e -mail:
mailing address:
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