|
||||||
|
||||||
State Licensure
Federal Certification Facility Data
|
Health FacilitiesHospitalsHospitals offer and provide services twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to people in Colorado under an organized medical staff. All hospitals in Colorado must have a state license to operate. With the exception of psychiatric/rehabilitation and long-term care hospitals, all state-licensed hospitals must offer the following services twenty-four hours a day: inpatient services, emergency medical and surgical care, continuous nursing services, and necessary ancillary services and must be available for the diagnosis and/or treatment of injury, illness, pregnancy or disability. Additionally, hospitals are not obligated to, but may offer outpatient preventive, therapeutic, surgical, diagnostic, rehabilitative or other services for periods of less than twenty-four hours. Hospitals may provide services through the use of more than one physical location. EMTALA: The federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act says that any hospital with an emergency room must respond to persons coming there for treatment of an emergency medical condition. Hospitals must screen the individual to determine whether or not a medical emergency exists. If one does exist, that person must be stabilized and treated to the best of the facility's ability and may then be transferred to another, more appropriate hospital. If it is determined that no medical emergency exists, the individual may be discharged without further assessment or treatment. Complaints regarding a hospital's refusal to treat individuals in the emergency room are investigated by the division under the auspices of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Trauma Designation/System: All Colorado hospitals are part of Colorado's trauma system and must be continuously available to treat injured persons. Some hospitals can only provide very basic trauma treatment while others are designated to provide more complex trauma services. The trauma system is to assure that injured persons receive basic trauma care, no matter where they are when injured. The system helps make sure that individuals are then transferred to the hospital most capable of providing care appropriate to the nature of their injuries. Psychiatric Hospitals: A psychiatric hospital is defined as a facility which provides beds and services over a continuous period exceeding twenty-four hours to individuals requiring early diagnosis and intensive and continued clinical therapy for mental illness and mental rehabilitation. Psychiatric hospitals are governed in part by extensive rules and regulations for treatment programs adopted by the Colorado Department of Human Services, Mental Health Services. Psychiatric hospitals may choose to offer emergency psychiatric services and outpatient clinics. If a psychiatric facility wishes to treat persons who may be admitted involuntarily, they must be a designated facility by the Colorado Department of Human Services. Psychiatric patients have rights in the law which must be posted in the facility. Restraints and seclusion may be used only when necessary to prevent injury to the patient or others in the facility. Psychiatric hospitals are licensed and may be certified. Critical Access Hospitals: Critical access hospitals are part of a network of hospitals designed to provide needed health care in Colorado's rural communities. They are paired with larger acute care hospitals that provide backup services to the primary care hospitals. Critical access hospitals offer emergency services and limited inpatient care. They must have at least one physician or mid-level practitioner on staff available to furnish care. A mid-level practitioner is an advanced practice nurse or a physician assistant. A critical access hospital does not have to be open twenty-four hours per day. However, it must maintain a communication system with its care providers and must be able to respond to an emergency within 30 minutes of being paged. Critical access hospitals may offer limited surgical services, obstetrical services including a delivery room and an infant nursery. They must have on-site or contract with others to provide laboratory services, radiology and pharmacy services. They must maintain complete medical records. Critical access hospitals are licensed and certified. Rehabilitation Hospitals/Centers: Rehabilitation centers are licensed to provide rehabilitative and restorative treatment to patients. For federal certification these facilities must serve an inpatient population requiring intensive rehabilitation services for treatment of one or more of the following conditions: stroke, spinal cord injury, congenital deformity, amputation, major multiple trauma, hip fracture, brain injury, some arthritic conditions, neurological disorders or burns. Rehabilitation hospitals/centers are licensed and may be certified. Long-Term Care Hospitals: Long-term care hospitals, in general, are defined in the Medicare law as hospitals that have an average inpatient length of stay greater than 25 days. These hospitals typically provide extended medical and rehabilitative care for patients who are clinically complex and may suffer from multiple acute or chronic conditions. Services may include comprehensive rehabilitation, respiratory therapy, cancer treatment, head trauma treatment and pain management. Long-term care hospitals are not required to have emergency services/departments. Long-term care hospitals are licensed as general hospitals and are certified. The division conducts certification and licensing surveys for compliance with federal and state regulations and investigates any complaints filed against one of these providers. [ Health Facilities ] [ Contact us ] [ Colorado Home ] [ Health Department ]
|
