Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to license and regulate various health facilities, including general acute care hospitals. Existing law requires the department to issue a special permit, in addition to a license, to a health facility to offer one or more special services, such as an emergency center, if specified requirements are met, including that the department finds that the standards of care and services are adequate and appropriate.
Existing law requires the department to issue a special permit to allow a general acute care hospital to offer emergency stabilization services at a location that is neither inside nor contiguous to the applicant hospital if the hospital provides satisfactory evidence to the department that, among other things, the hospital has a written transfer agreement with the hospital closest to the location where emergency stabilization services will be provided and satisfactory evidence to the department that this location meets certain requirements, including that the location is in the town of Paradise within the County of Butte and serves the same area previously served by Feather River Hospital.
This bill would require the department to issue a special permit, as specified, to Del Puerto Health Care District to authorize the district to operate one rural emergency stabilization care unit and waive designated general acute care hospital licensure requirements if specified conditions are met, including that the district enter into and maintain written transport and transfer agreements with every general acute care hospital that maintains a licensed emergency department and is located within a 30-mile radius of the rural emergency stabilization care unit. The bill would limit the term of the special permit based on prescribed factors, including the construction and licensure of a general acute care hospital with an operational emergency department, as specified. The bill would repeal this authorization one year after the rural emergency stabilization care unit ceases operations pursuant to these provisions.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for Del Puerto Health Care District.