Section 481.51.53. Critical access hospitals.

Critical access hospitals shall meet the following criteria:

         51.53(1) The hospital shall be no less than 35 miles from another hospital or no less than 15 miles over secondary roads or shall be designated by the department of public health as a necessary provider of health care prior to January 1, 2006.

         51.53(2) The hospital shall be a public or nonprofit hospital and shall be located in a county in a rural area. Rural counties do not include Black Hawk, Johnson, Linn, Polk, Pottawattamie, Scott and Woodbury Counties. All other counties are considered to be in rural areas for purposes of this subrule.

         51.53(3) The hospital shall provide 24-hour emergency care services as described in 481 IAC 51.30(135B).

         51.53(4) The hospital shall maintain no more than 25 acute care inpatient beds. However, if the hospital provides inpatient psychiatric services in a distinct part unit or inpatient rehabilitation services in a distinct part unit, no more than 10 beds shall be maintained in the distinct part unit. The beds in the distinct part unit are excluded from the 25 inpatient-bed count limit specified in 42 CFR 485.620(a).

         51.53(5) The hospital shall meet the Medicare conditions of participation as a critical access hospital as described in 42 CFR Part 485, Subpart F.

         51.53(6) The hospital shall continue to comply with all general hospital license requirements as defined in 481 IAC 51.

         51.53(7) The department shall recognize, in lieu of its own inspection, the comparable inspections and inspections findings of The Joint Commission (TJC), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), DNV GL – Healthcare (DNV GL), or the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) if the department is provided with copies of all requested materials relating to the inspections and the inspection process.

[ARC 9253B, IAB 12/1/10, effective 1/5/11; ARC 1305C, IAB 2/5/14, effective 3/12/14; ARC 2472C, IAB 3/30/16, effective 5/4/16]