N.Y. Executive Law § 556: Functions, powers and duties of the board

§ 556. Functions, powers and duties of the board. The justice center

medical review board shall have the following functions, powers and

duties:

(a) make a preliminary determination whether the death of a patient or

resident in a residential facility within the meaning of subdivision

four of section four hundred eighty-eight of the social services law

that is operated, licensed or certified by an office of the department

of mental hygiene or the office of children and family services, which

has been brought to its attention is unusual or whether such death

reasonably appears to have resulted from other than natural causes and

warrants investigation;

(b) investigate the causes of and circumstances surrounding such

unusual death or deaths from other than natural causes of patients or

residents in such facilities;

(c) visit and inspect any facility in which such a death has occurred;

(d) cause the body of the deceased to undergo such examinations

including an autopsy as in the opinion of the board are necessary to

determine the cause of death, irrespective of whether such examination

or autopsy shall have been previously performed;

(e) upon review of the cause of and circumstances surrounding the

death of any patient or resident, submit its report thereon to the

executive director and, where appropriate, make recommendations to

prevent the recurrence of same to the appropriate commissioner of the

department of mental hygiene or the commissioner of children and family

services and to the director of the facility; and

(f) advise the executive director on medical issues relevant to the

functions, powers, and duties of the justice center including

allegations of abuse or neglect of a patient or resident referred to it.