Sec 36-405. Powers and duties of the director  


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  • A. The director shall adopt rules to establish minimum standards and requirements for the construction, modification and licensure of health care institutions necessary to assure the public health, safety and welfare. The standards and requirements shall relate to the construction, equipment, sanitation, staffing for medical, nursing and personal care services, and record keeping pertaining to the administration of medical, nursing, behavioral health and personal care services, in accordance with generally accepted practices of health care. The director shall use the current standards adopted by the joint commission on accreditation of hospitals and the commission on accreditation of the American osteopathic association or those adopted by any recognized accreditation organization approved by the department as guidelines in prescribing minimum standards and requirements under this section.

    B. The director, by rule, may:

    1. Classify and subclassify health care institutions according to character, size, range of services provided, medical or dental specialty offered, duration of care and standard of patient care required for the purposes of licensure. Classes of health care institutions may include hospitals, infirmaries, outpatient treatment centers, health screening services centers and residential care facilities. Whenever the director reasonably deems distinctions in rules and standards to be appropriate among different classes or subclasses of health care institutions, the director may make such distinctions.

    2. Prescribe standards for determining a health care institution's substantial compliance with licensure requirements.

    3. Prescribe the criteria for the licensure inspection process.

    4. Prescribe standards for the selection of health care related demonstration projects.

    5. Establish and collect nonrefundable fees for health care institutions for license applications, initial licenses, renewal licenses and architectural drawing reviews.

    C. The director, by rule, shall adopt licensing provisions that facilitate the colocation and integration of outpatient treatment centers that provide medical, nursing and health-related services with behavioral health services consistent with article 3.1 of this chapter.

    D. Ninety percent of the fees collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, in the health services licensing fund established by section 36-414 and ten percent of the fees collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, in the state general fund.

    E. Subsection B, paragraph 5 of this section does not apply to a health care institution operated by a state agency pursuant to state or federal law or to adult foster care residential settings.