Louisiana Hospital Licensing Standards
Medical records not completed within 20 days after discharge
The Department of Health Information Management (HIM) is committed to the maintenance of medical records, while safeguarding their confidentiality. Medical records are generally kept for 20 years following a patient’s discharge. They are also accessible to the patient, who has a right to review them. A patient can make a written request to review his or her records. In most cases, the request must be made in writing by a patient or the patient’s representative.
In most instances, health care providers are required to provide patients with copies of their records if they have requested them. This includes copies of reports required for third-party reimbursement. Patients also have the right to request complete records transferred from previous physicians.
Failure to maintain a log of delinquent medical records
A hospital must maintain medical records for each patient. These records must be written and completed accurately and promptly. They must also be filed and retained. In addition, the hospital must use a system for author identification and record maintenance that ensures the integrity and security of the entries in the medical records. These records must also be coded and indexed so that they can be easily retrieved and located based on the patient’s diagnosis or procedure.
Medical records are legally binding documents and must be legible. Each form must contain the patient’s name, identification number, and clinic identifier. These information must be printed in black ink on the record.
Failure to ensure all contracted physicians were privileged and credentialed by the board
Hospitals are under pressure to comply with state laws and regulations. Hospitals report incidents to their state licensing boards. The board reviews reports to ensure that the information is accurate. It’s important to ensure that hospitals are reporting all physician misconduct. Failure to do so could result in a hospital being sued by doctors it takes disciplinary action against. In addition, hospitals may be worried that they will be sued by physicians they revoked clinical privileges.
In one instance, a hospital’s failure to ensure that all of its contracted physicians are credentialed and privileged violated the Louisiana Hospital Licensing Standards. The standards also state that emergency services must be staffed by a qualified member of the medical staff. However, the board’s review revealed that S5Physician had no documented appointment as Medical Director of Emergency Services at CAH. This means that he was not qualified to perform this role.
Waivers not transferable in ownership change
Waivers are an excellent way to finalize contracts and mitigate future risk. However, they can have significant drawbacks. Construction contracts, for example, often include waivers as a part of the contract. These are often in the best interests of the individual parties involved. Here are three common situations in which waivers are not transferable in ownership changes:
Requirements for offsite campuses
If a hospital plans to build an offsite campus, the state requires that it obtain a license. In order to obtain a license, hospitals must meet certain requirements, such as having a valid license and being in compliance with applicable state and local codes. Applicants must submit proof of compliance to the Department of Health and Hospital Services at the time of application and again when changes are made to the facility. Hospitals must also keep an accurate record of all hospital accreditations, and all reports of accreditation are required to be stored on the hospital’s file. Initial licenses are valid for 12 months, while renewals last for 24 months.
Offsite campuses are considered an extension of a hospital’s primary location. They can be an outpatient department or inpatient beds located at a second location. The Health Standards Department is responsible for processing these applications. It processes 160 to 200 packets at a time. If the application is approved, the hospital program manager will issue a license and licensing letter to the new facility. If additional information is needed, the program manager will notify the applicant.
