7 AAC 12 — Facilities and Local Units (Article 1 to 12)

The department will consider a facility as a long-term acute care hospital if the department finds that the facility (1) provides inpatient hospitalization for medical care of acute illness or injury for patients who have complex medical conditions and require long-term acute car…

(a) The department will consider a facility as a critical access hospital if the department finds that the facility (1) provides inpatient short-term hospitalization for medical care of acute illness or injury; (2) has no more than 25 inpatient beds; (3) is located in a rural are…

(a) A general acute care hospital must provide surgical, anesthesia, perinatal, medical, nursing, pharmaceutical, dietetic, laundry, medical records, radiological, laboratory, and emergency care services. A general acute care hospital must also provide speech, occupational, or ph…

(a) A general acute care hospital, a rural primary care hospital, a long-term acute care hospital, or a critical access hospital shall have a medical staff. (b) The medical staff shall organize and adopt, with the approval of the facility's governing body, bylaws and rules that p…

(a) A registered nurse with knowledge and experience in surgical techniques and procedures must have supervisory responsibility for the surgical suite and, in cooperation with the surgical committee of the medical staff, if the hospital has one, and the infection control committe…

(a) A general acute care hospital must have an anesthesia service. A physician must have overall responsibility for supervision of the anesthesia service. (b) Anesthesia care may be provided only by a physician or dentist with anesthesia privileges, a registered nurse anesthetist…

(a) If a hospital has a critical care service, a physician must have overall responsibility for the medical supervision of it. (b) A registered nurse with education and experience in critical care nursing must also be responsible for supervision and operation of the service. (c) …

(a) A general acute care hospital must offer perinatal services that include either (1) an intensive care newborn nursery and other hospital facilities capable of treating the mother if problems arise that are beyond the normal capability of the perinatal service unit; or (2) arr…

(a) If a hospital has a psychiatric service, the psychiatric service must adopt a policy which provides for regular in-service training of the staff in methods of care for persons who are mentally ill. (b) Standards for the care of persons who are mentally ill must be developed b…

(a) If a hospital has a respiratory therapy service, the respiratory therapy service must apply central service standards established in 7 AAC 12.730 in decontamination and processing of supplies and equipment. (b) A physician must have overall responsibility for the medical supe…

If a hospital provides long-term care service, the service must also comply with 7 AAC 12.250 - 7 AAC 12.290. The requirements of this section do not apply to a long-term acute care hospital. Notes 7 AAC 12.180 Eff. 11/19/83, Register 88; am 6/23/2006, Register 178 Authority:AS 4…

(a) The department will designate a hospital that is licensed under this chapter as a critical access hospital under Medicare if the hospital meets the conditions of participation set out at 42 C.F.R. 485.601 - 42 C.F.R. 485.645, as amended through July 1, 1999 and adopted by ref…

A hospital which is primarily engaged in the treatment of one specific type of illness or disability is a specialized hospital, and must comply with 7 AAC 12.200 - 7 AAC 12.210 and the applicable provisions of 7 AAC 12.215 - 7 AAC 12.225. Notes 7 AAC 12.200 Eff. 11/19/83, Registe…

A hospital described in 7 AAC 12.200 must provide nursing, dietetic, medical record, and pharmaceutical services on site. Radiological, laboratory, and social services must be provided by the hospital either on site or by contract. Notes 7 AAC 12.205 Eff. 11/19/83, Register 88 Au…

(a) A hospital described in 7 AAC 12.200 must have a medical staff. (b) The medical staff shall organize and adopt, with the approval of the governing body, bylaws and rules which provide for (1) eligibility for medical staff membership, and recommending appointments to the gover…

(a) A hospital which is primarily engaged in providing to inpatients psychiatric services for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness is a psychiatric hospital and must comply with the provisions of this section. (b) A psychiatric hospital must have the following minimum st…

(a) A hospital or unit of a hospital which is operated for the primary purpose of treatment of alcoholism or substance abuse through an integrated program of medical, psychological, and social evaluation and services, and in which the major portion of the required evaluation and …

(a) A rehabilitation hospital or unit of a hospital that is operated primarily for the purpose of assisting in the restoration of persons with physical disabilities, communication, language, or self-image disorders, through an integrated program of medical, psychological, social,…

A facility that is not an acute care hospital and that provides nursing care and related medical services over a period of 24 hours each day to individuals admitted because of illness, disease, or physical infirmity is a nursing facility, and must comply with 7 AAC 12.250 - 7 AAC…

A nursing facility must provide nursing, pharmaceutical, either physical or occupational therapy, social work services, therapeutic recreational activities, dietetic, central supply, laundry, housekeeping, laboratory and radiological services. Notes 7 AAC 12.255 Eff. 11/19/83, Re…

The nursing facility must have written policies and procedures to ensure admissions of only those individuals whose needs can be met by the nursing facility directly or in cooperation with community resources. Notes 7 AAC 12.256 Eff. 5/28/92, Register 122 Authority:AS 18.20.010 A…

(a) In addition to the rights of patients specified in 7 AAC 12.890, residents of nursing facilities have the right to be free from physical restraints imposed or psychoactive drugs administered for purposes of discipline or convenience and that are not required to treat the resi…

A medical director who is employed by or is a consultant to the nursing facility shall (1) place a resident under the care of a physician; (2) ensure that the use of an investigational drug is properly supervised by a member of the medical staff, that an informed consent form pro…

(a) Physicians shall review, recap, and sign orders for nursing facility residents at least once every 60 days. (b) A physician shall visit nursing facility residents and make a notation in each resident's medical record of the resident's status every 30 days for the first 90 day…

(a) The nursing facility staff shall encourage and assist residents to achieve and maintain their highest level of self-care and independence. A registered nurse, in conjunction with an interdisciplinary team, shall, within 14 days of admission of a resident, ensure completion of…

(a) Except as otherwise specified in this section, a nursing facility must have a registered nurse on duty seven days a week on the day shift and five days a week on the evening shift. A licensed practical nurse must be on duty during all shifts when a registered nurse is not pre…

(a) A nursing facility must provide a program of rehabilitative nursing care that assists each resident to achieve and maintain an optimal level of self-care and independence, as an integral part of the nursing service. (b) A nursing facility must provide physical, occupational, …

A nursing facility must provide an activity program that is available to all residents and encourages each resident to attain and maintain function at the highest practicable level. The program must address the intellectual, social, spiritual, creative, cultural, and physical nee…

(a) A pharmacist must review each resident's prescribed drug regimen once every 30 days, make recommendations, note the possibilities or absence of problems irregularities, or clinically significant results or consequences with the prescribed drug regimen, and report potential pr…

A facility which operates primarily for the purpose of providing for the diagnosis, treatment or habilitation of persons who are mentally retarded or have related conditions and which provides, in a protected residential setting, individualized ongoing evaluation and planning, su…

(a) An intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded is exempt from the requirements of 7 AAC 12.600 - 7 AAC 12.990, except for 7 AAC 12.610, 7 AAC 12.620, 7 AAC 12.650, 7 AAC 12.760, 7 AAC 12.860, 7 AAC 12.900 - 7 AAC 12.990. (b) An intermediate care facility for the ment…

(a) Except as provided in (b) of this section, and unless the department waives applicability under (e) of this section, the provisions of 7 AAC 12.310 - 7 AAC 12.349 apply to a public or private entity conducting, maintaining, or operating a hospice program that provides hospice…

(a) Unless the department issues a waiver under 7 AAC 12.310(e), an individual or entity must obtain a license from the department under 7 AAC 12.610 and this section if the individual or entity seeks to (1) conduct, maintain, or operate a hospice agency; (2) participate in condu…

(a) The department will inspect each hospice agency, and may inspect each subunit or branch office of a hospice agency, after the initial application as specified in AS 47.32 and 7 AAC 12.610, and subsequently as specified in AS 47.32, 7 AAC 10.9600 - 7 AAC 10.9620, and 7 AAC 12.…

(a) A full-service hospice agency shall provide(1) physician or advanced practice registered nurse services to provide directed medical care that meets the client's medical needs for palliative care and management of terminal illness; (2) nursing care and services provided by or …

(a) Subject to (b) of this section, a volunteer hospice agency shall provide each of, and only, the following services: (1) direct service volunteers; (2) spiritual and emotional support services to the client, the client's family, and caregivers if these services are desired dur…

(a) A hospice agency may accept a client for hospice care only if the hospice agency has a reasonable expectation that the hospice agency will adequately meet the client's needs. At the time an individual is accepted for care, or no later than two days after the day when care is …

(a) The interdisciplinary team designated under 7 AAC 12.327 by a full-service hospice agency shall develop and maintain a written plan of care for each client admitted to a hospice program. The agency shall ensure that care provided to a client is in accordance with the plan of …

(a) Before initiation of care or services, a hospice agency shall provide each client who is 18 years of age or older, or the client's legal representative, with forms and information regarding(1) the client's right to make health care decisions, including the right to accept or …

(a) A hospice agency shall(1) develop and implement written policies and procedures that prohibit abuse, neglect, and mistreatment of clients; (2) document alleged or suspected incidents of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment by an employee, volunteer, or contractor; (3) investigate …

(a) A full-service hospice agency shall conduct an ongoing comprehensive self-assessment of the quality and appropriateness of care provided, including inpatient care and care provided under contract. The agency shall document the findings from its self-assessment and use them to…

A hospice agency must have a governing body that assumes full legal responsibility for determining, implementing, and monitoring the policies that govern operation of the hospice. In addition to meeting the applicable requirements of 7 AAC 12.630, the governing body shall (1) ado…

(a) The governing body of a full-service hospice agency shall appoint a professional advisory committee. The committee shall meet at least twice each year to advise and monitor the agency and shall report its findings in writing to the governing body. The committee must consist o…

(a) A full-service hospice agency shall designate an interdisciplinary team composed of individuals who provide or supervise the care and services offered by the agency. The interdisciplinary team must include at least a (1) physician; (2) registered nurse; (3) social worker desc…

(a) A full-service hospice agency shall maintain administrative control over the services provided by the agency. The agency may not delegate administrative and supervisory functions to another agency, individual, or organization. The hospice agency shall describe in writing (1) …

(a) A full-service hospice agency shall have a physician or advanced practice registered nurse to serve as medical director and assume overall responsibility for each client's care program. The medical director shall be a member of and oversee the interdisciplinary team and the p…

(a) A full-service hospice agency may provide home health aide services. If the agency provides home health aide services, those services must be provided (1) by a nurse aide with a current certification under AS 08.68.331; (2) in accordance with the plan of care; and (3) in acco…