Published: 2015-07-09
Key Benefits:
(a) Any person, firm, association, partnership, or corporation desiring a license for a clinic or a special permit for special services under the provisions of this chapter, shall file with the department a verified application on forms prescribed and furnished by the department, containing the following:
(1) Evidence satisfactory to the department that the applicant is of reputable and responsible character. If the applicant is a firm, association, partnership, trust, corporation, or other artificial or legal entity, like evidence shall be submitted as to the members, partners, trustees or shareholders, directors, and officers thereof and as to the person who is to be the administrator of, and exercise control, management, and direction of the clinic for which application is made.
(2) If the applicant is a partnership, the name and principal business address of each partner, and, if any partner is a corporation, the name and principal business address of each officer and director of the corporation and name and business address of each stockholder owning 10 percent or more of the stock thereof.
(3) If the applicant is a corporation, the name and principal business address of each officer and director of the corporation, and where the applicant is a stock corporation, the name and principal business address of each stockholder holding 10 percent or more of the applicant’s stock and, where any stockholder is a corporation, the name and principal business address of each officer and director of the corporate stockholder.
(4) Evidence satisfactory to the department of the ability of the applicant to comply with the provisions of this chapter and rules and regulations promulgated under this chapter by the department.
(5) The name and address of the clinic, and if the applicant is a professional corporation, firm, partnership, or other form of organization, evidence that the applicant has complied with the requirements of the Business and Professions Code governing the use of fictitious names by practitioners of the healing arts.
(6) The name and address of the professional licentiate responsible for the professional activities of the clinic and the licentiate’s license number and professional experience.
(7) The class of clinic to be operated, the character and scope of advice and treatment to be provided, and a complete description of the building, its location, facilities, equipment, apparatus, and appliances to be furnished and used in the operation of the clinic.
(8) Sufficient operational data to allow the department to determine the class of clinic that the applicant proposes to operate and the initial license fee to be charged.
(9) Any other information as may be required by the department for the proper administration and enforcement of this chapter, including, but not limited to, evidence that the clinic has a written policy relating to the dissemination of the following information to patients:
(A) A summary of current state laws requiring child passenger restraint systems to be used when transporting children in motor vehicles.
(B) A listing of child passenger restraint system programs located within the county, as required by Section 27360 or 27362 of the Vehicle Code.
(C) Information describing the risks of death or serious injury associated with the failure to utilize a child passenger restraint system.
(b) (1) No application is required where a licensed primary care clinic adds a service that is not a special service, as defined in Section 1203, or any regulation adopted thereunder, or remodels or modifies an existing primary care clinic site. However, the clinic shall notify the department, in writing, of the change in service or physical plant no less than 60 days prior to adding the service or remodeling or modifying an existing primary care clinic site. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to limit the authority of the department to conduct an inspection at any time pursuant to Section 1227, in order to ensure compliance with, or to prevent a violation of, this chapter, or any regulation adopted under this chapter.
(2) Where applicable city, county, or state law obligates the primary care clinic to obtain a building permit with respect to the remodeling or modification to be performed by the clinic, the primary care clinic shall provide a signed certification or statement as described in Section 1226.3 to the department within 60 days following completion of the remodeling or modification project covered by the building permit.
(c) In the course of fulfilling its obligations under Section 1221.09, the department shall ensure that any application form utilized by a primary care clinic, requiring information of the type specified in paragraph (1), (4), (8), or (9) of subdivision (a), is consistent with the requirements of Section 1225, including the requirement that rules and regulations for primary care clinics be separate and distinct from the rules and regulations for specialty clinics. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the department to issue a separate application form for primary care clinics.
(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 602, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2004.)
A person, firm, association, partnership, corporation, or other legal entity desiring a license for a clinic shall be exempt from the requirements of Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 16000) of Division 12.5.
(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 502, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2011.)
Each application under this chapter for an initial license, renewal license, license upon change of ownership, or special permit shall be accompanied by a Licensing and Certification Program fee, as follows:
(a) For all primary care clinics licensed pursuant to this chapter, the annual fee shall be set in accordance with Section 1266.
(b) For all specialty clinics licensed pursuant to this chapter, the annual fee shall be set in accordance with Section 1266.
(c) For all rehabilitation clinics, the annual fee shall be set in accordance with Section 1266.
(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 74, Sec. 2. Effective July 12, 2006.)
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 1214, each application for a surgical clinic or a chronic dialysis clinic under this chapter for an initial license, renewal license, license upon change of ownership, or special permit shall be accompanied by an annual Licensing and Certification Program fee set in accordance with Section 1266.
(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 74, Sec. 3. Effective July 12, 2006.)
Each application under this chapter for an initial license, renewal license, license upon change of ownership, or special permit for a psychology clinic shall be accompanied by a Licensing and Certification Program fee set in accordance with Section 1266.
(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 74, Sec. 4. Effective July 12, 2006.)
Each new license issued pursuant to this chapter shall expire 12 months from the date of its issuance, and each special permit shall expire on the expiration date of the underlying license. The state department shall transmit to the licensee a renewal fee invoice at least 45 days prior to the expiration date of the license. Failure by the clinic licensee to make timely payment of the renewal fee shall result in the expiration of the license and special permit, if any. A renewal license or special permit may be issued for a period not to exceed two years if the holder of the license or special permit has not been found to be in violation of any statutory requirements, regulations, or standards during the preceding license period. In all other cases, the renewal license or special permit shall be issued for a period not to exceed one year. Timely application for renewal, accompanied by the necessary fee, shall be deemed equivalent to renewal of a license or special permit, where the department is unable to issue a renewal license or special permit on or before the expiration date.
(Repealed and added by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1147.)
(a) Every clinic holding a license shall, on or before the 15th day of February each year, file with the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development upon forms to be furnished by the office, a verified report showing the following information relating to the previous calendar year:
(1) Number of patients served and descriptive information, including age, gender, race, and ethnic background of patients.
(2) Number of patient visits by type of service, including all of the following:
(A) Child health and disability prevention screens, treatment, and followup services.
(B) Medical services.
(C) Dental services.
(D) Other health services.
(3) Total clinic operating expenses.
(4) Gross patient charges by payer category, including Medicare, Medi-Cal, the Child Health Disability Prevention Program, county indigent programs, other county programs, private insurance, self-paying patients, nonpaying patients, and other payers.
(5) Deductions from revenue by payer category, bad debts, and charity care charges.
(6) Additional information as may be required by the office or the department.
(b) In the event a clinic fails to file a timely report, the department may suspend the license of the clinic until the report is completed and filed with the office.
(c) In order to promote efficient reporting of accurate data, the office shall consider the unique operational characteristics of different classifications of licensed clinics, including, but not limited to, the limited scope of services provided by some specialty clinics, in its design of forms for the collection of data required by this section.
(d) For the purpose of administering funds appropriated from the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Surtax Fund for support of licensed clinics, clinics receiving those funds may be required to report any additional data the office or the department may determine necessary to ensure the equitable distribution and appropriate expenditure of those funds. This shall include, but not be limited to, information about the poverty level of patients served and communicable diseases reported to local health departments.
(e) This section shall apply to all primary care clinics.
(f) This section shall apply to all specialty clinics, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1204 of the Health and Safety Code that receive tobacco tax funds pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 30121) of Chapter 2 of Part 13 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
(g) Specialty clinics that are not required to report pursuant to subdivision (f) shall report data as directed in Section 1216 as it existed prior to the enactment of Chapter 1331 of the Statutes of 1989 and Chapter 51 of the Statutes of 1990.
(Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 278, Sec. 5. Effective July 30, 1991.)
(a) An applicant for a license to operate a primary care clinic, as specified in subdivision (a) of Section 1204 that meets all requirements for licensure under this chapter, except that it proposes to operate its clinic out of an existing facility that does not satisfy all of the applicable building requirements for the physical plant, other than fire and life safety requirements, shall be issued a license by the state department if both of the following requirements are met:
(1) The applicant establishes, by evidence satisfactory to the state department, that, where possible and feasible, the applicable building requirements have been met.
(2) The applicant submits a plan of modernization acceptable to the state department that sets forth the proposed changes to be made, during a period not to exceed three years from the date of initial licensure, to bring the applicant’s facility into substantial conformance with applicable building requirements.
(b) Failure to complete the plan of modernization as approved and within the time allowed shall constitute a basis for revocation or nonrenewal of the applicant’s license unless the applicant earlier applies for and obtains a waiver from the department. The director shall waive building requirements for primary care clinics where he or she determines all of the following conditions are met:
(1) That the requirements cannot be met by an applicant, or that they can be met only at an unreasonable and prohibitive cost.
(2) That the requirements are not essential to protect the health and safety of the clinic staff or the public it serves.
(3) That the granting of the waiver applied for is in the public interest.
(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 602, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2004.)
Upon the filing of an application for a license or for a special permit, or for renewal of a license or special permit, the state department shall investigate the facts set forth in the application and, if the state department finds that the statements contained in the application are true, that the establishment or the continued operation of the clinic and any special services it provides are in conformity with the intent and purpose of this chapter, and that the applicant is in compliance with the provisions of this chapter and the rules and regulations of the state department, the state department shall issue to the applicant the license or special permit, or renewal thereof, applied for. However, if the director finds that the statements contained in the application are not true, or that the establishment or the continued operation of the clinic, or its special services, is not in conformity with the intent and purpose of this chapter, or that applicant is not in compliance with the provisions of this chapter and the rules and regulations promulgated hereunder, he shall deny the applicant the license or special permit or renewal thereof applied for. The state department shall either grant or deny a license or special permit within 100 days of the filing of a completed application for such license or special permit.
(Added by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1147.)
(a) A clinic corporation on behalf of a primary care clinic that has held a valid, unrevoked, and unsuspended license for at least the immediately preceding five years, with no demonstrated history of repeated or uncorrected violations of this chapter or a regulation adopted under this chapter that pose immediate jeopardy to a patient, as defined in subdivision (f), and that has no pending action to suspend or revoke its license, may file an affiliate clinic application under this section to establish a primary care clinic at an additional site or a mobile health care unit, either of which shall hereafter be referred to as the affiliate clinic. The department, upon receipt of the completed affiliate clinic application submitted by the clinic corporation, shall approve a license for the affiliate clinic, without the necessity of first conducting an initial onsite survey, if all of the following conditions are met:
(1) The clinic corporation that operates the existing licensed primary care clinic, which shall hereafter be referred to as the parent clinic, has submitted a completed affiliate clinic application and the associated application fee.
(2) The parent and affiliate clinics’ corporate officers, as specified in Section 5213 of the Corporations Code, are the same.
(3) The parent and affiliate clinics are owned and operated by the same nonprofit organization with the same board of directors.
(4) The parent and affiliate clinics have the same medical director or directors and medical policies, procedures, protocols, and standards.
(b) The affiliate clinic application shall consist solely of a simple form and required supporting documents giving the following information:
(1) The name and address of the clinic corporation’s administrative office.
(2) The name and contact information of the clinic corporation’s chief executive officer or executive director.
(3) The name and address of the new affiliate primary care clinic site or the location of the new affiliate mobile health care unit.
(4) The name and contact information of the administrator of the new affiliate primary care clinic site or mobile health care unit.
(5) The expected days and hours of operation and the services to be provided at the new affiliate primary care clinic site or mobile health care unit.
(6) Evidence that the new affiliate mobile health care unit meets the requirements of the Mobile Health Care Services Act (Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 1765.101)).
(7) The type and the manufacturer of the new affiliate mobile health care unit and the proposed area or areas where the new affiliate mobile health care unit will be providing services.
(8) To the extent otherwise required by law, evidence of compliance with the minimum construction standards for adequacy and safety of the new affiliate clinic’s physical plant, pursuant to the OSHPD 3 requirements of the most recent version of the California Building Code applicable to clinics and subdivision (b) of Section 1226. The compliance may be established in the form prescribed by Section 1226.3.
(9) Evidence of fire clearance for the new affiliate clinic site.
(10) A copy of the lease or purchase agreement for the new affiliate clinic site.
(11) A copy of the transfer agreement between the new affiliate clinic and a local hospital.
(12) A current list of clinic corporation board members.
(c) The affiliate clinic application shall be signed by an officer of the clinic corporation’s board of directors or the clinic corporation’s chief executive officer or executive director.
(d) The department shall issue a clinic license under this section within 30 days of receipt of a completed affiliate clinic application. If approved, a clinic license shall be issued within seven days of approval. If the department determines that an applicant does not meet the conditions stated in subdivision (a), it shall identify, in writing and with particularity, the grounds for that determination, and shall instead process the application in accordance with the time specified in Section 1218.
(e) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the department from conducting a licensing inspection of the affiliate clinic at any time after receipt of the completed affiliate clinic application.
(f) For purposes of this section, “immediate jeopardy to a patient” means a situation in which the clinic’s noncompliance with one or more requirements of licensure has caused, or is likely to cause, serious injury, harm, impairment, or death to a patient.
(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 502, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 2011.)
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, two or more primary care clinics that are operated by a single nonprofit corporation shall be entitled to consolidate their administrative functions within the State of California without first obtaining the approval of the department. The department shall have access to offsite records. Upon request for access by the department, offsite records shall either be transferred to a clinic or administrative site or be available at the offsite facility within 48 hours. The administrative functions are limited to the following:
(a) Offsite storage and maintenance of patient medical records that have been inactive for at least three years.
(b) Offsite storage and maintenance of personnel records, except that copies of specific records documenting the employees’ date of hire, general qualifications, proof of current licensure if applicable, training, and annual health checks shall be kept at the site at which the employee provides all or a majority of his or her services.
(c) Billing and related financial functions.
(d) Purchasing functions.
(Added by Stats. 2003, Ch. 602, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2004.)
(a) In order to reduce paperwork, eliminate errors, and streamline communications between the department and licensed primary care clinics, a clinic corporation that operates one or more affiliate clinics shall, on behalf of all licensed clinics it operates, act as the administrative headquarters for purposes of receiving from and submitting to the department communications regarding primary care clinic license applications or license renewals, primary care clinic operations, requests for prior approval, additions of services, primary care clinic relocations, required reports of changes in primary care clinic administration and board of directors, notices of deficiencies, and all communications from the department to primary care clinics licensed by the department including communications by mail, e-mail, facsimile, or any other electronic or telephonic means.
(b) The department shall maintain a complete corporate file containing information about each clinic corporation operating one or more affiliate clinics, including all of the following:
(1) A copy of the clinic corporation’s articles of incorporation and bylaws.
(2) Unless exempt under paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 1204, a copy of the determination letter to show the clinic corporation’s exempt status under paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended.
(3) A copy of the clinic corporation’s organizational chart.
(4) Information identifying the clinic corporation’s governing body, including the clinic corporation’s board of directors and corporate officers and required documents.
(5) Information identifying the clinic corporation’s administrators, including the chief executive officer or executive director and medical director.
(c) A clinic corporation shall not be required to resubmit information, materials, or documents identified in subdivision (b) as part of an affiliate clinic application, unless the information, materials, or documents are necessary to complete the corporate file.
(d) A clinic corporation shall submit to the department, on behalf of all licensed primary care clinics operated by the clinic corporation, a single report of change that is applicable to all primary care clinics operated by the clinic corporation, including a change in a principal officer or general manager of the governing body, the medical director, and the clinic administrator, as required by law.
(e) A clinic corporation may submit to the department, on behalf of all licensed primary care clinics operated by the clinic corporation that are within the same license renewal month, a single payment for all primary care clinic licensure renewal fees.
(Added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 502, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2011.)
(a) Except for affiliate clinics, as defined in Section 1218.1, if a clinic or an applicant for a license has not been previously licensed, the department may only issue a provisional license to the clinic as provided in this section.
(b) A provisional license to operate a clinic shall terminate six months from the date of issuance.
(c) Within 30 days prior to the termination of a provisional license, the department shall give the clinic a full and complete inspection, and, if the clinic meets all applicable requirements for licensure, a regular license shall be issued. If the clinic does not meet the requirements for licensure but has made substantial progress towards meeting such requirements, as determined by the department, the initial provisional license shall be renewed for six months.
(d) If the department determines that there has not been substantial progress towards meeting licensure requirements at the time of the first full inspection provided by this section, or, if the department determines upon its inspection made within 30 days of the termination of a renewed provisional license that there is a lack of full compliance with such requirements, no further license shall be issued.
(e) If an applicant for a provisional license to operate a clinic has been denied by the department, the applicant may contest the denial by filing a statement of issues, as provided in Section 11504 of the Government Code. The proceedings to review the denial shall be conducted pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 90, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2009.)
(a) The state department may issue a provisional license to a clinic if:
(1) The clinic and the applicant for licensure substantially meet the standards specified by this chapter and regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter.
(2) No violation of this chapter or regulations adopted under this chapter exists in the clinic which jeopardizes the health or safety of patients.
(3) The applicant has adopted a plan for correction of any existing violations which is satisfactory to the state department.
(b) A provisional license issued under this section shall expire not later than six months after the date of issuance, or at such earlier time as determined by the state department at the time of issuance, and may not be renewed.
(Added by Stats. 1987, Ch. 1456, Sec. 2.)
Immediately upon the denial of any application for a license or special permit or a renewal thereof, the state department shall notify the applicant in writing. Within 15 days after the state department mails the notice, the applicant may present his written petition for a hearing to the state department. Upon receipt by the state department of the petition in proper form, such petition shall be set for hearing. The proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the state department has all powers granted therein.
The director may issue a temporary license to operate a community clinic or free clinic when the director determines that the facility is in compliance with the provisions of this chapter, except that the facility has applied for but not yet been granted an exemption from federal taxation as required by subdivision (a) of Section 1204. In such cases, the prospective licensee shall submit to the director a copy of its application for exemption from federal taxation which it has sent to the federal Internal Revenue Service. The director shall request the Franchise Tax Board to review the application and to render an opinion regarding whether it is likely that the exemption will be granted. If the Franchise Tax Board so determines, the director may proceed to issue a temporary license. Such temporary license shall expire 12 months from the date of its issuance or upon the facility being granted such exemption from federal taxation. The director shall issue no more than three successive temporary licenses to one facility.
(Added by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1147.)
