Alabama Administrative Code
Title 420 - ALABAMA STATE BOARD OF HEALTH
Chapter 420-5-7 - HOSPITALS
Section 420-5-7-.03 - Classification Of Hospitals

(a) Classification According to Services. Each hospital shall be classified as a General Acute Care Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital or a Specialized Hospital, corresponding to the services offered by the particular institution.

(b) Confinement of Services. A hospital shall confine its services to those designated in the classification, except emergency cases when the life or welfare of the patient is imperiled. In such case the attending physician shall state on the patient record that emergency conditions existed.

(a) Number of Beds. A General Acute Care Hospital shall have an authorized bed capacity of not fewer than 15 beds for the care and treatment of patients.

(b) Basic Requirements. A General Acute Care Hospital shall provide care for medical and surgical patients, operate a dedicated emergency department, and may not restrict its services to any particular specialty or specialties. Nothing in these rules shall prohibit a hospital from contracting exclusively with one or more specific physician practice groups to provide physician care in a particular specialty or practice area.

(c) A General Acute Care Hospital shall have the following services and facilities available on its campus:

(a) Basic Requirements. A licensed hospital may apply to become a Critical Access Hospital provided it is first reviewed and approved by the Department's Office of Rural Health. It may provide inpatient care for an average annual length of stay not to exceed 96 hours. It must comply with Alabama's Rural Health Plan and all requirements of these rules applicable to general hospitals.

(b) Number of Beds. A Critical Access Hospital shall have a maximum authorized bed capacity of 45 beds or its licensed bed capacity, whichever is smaller, subject to any additional restrictions imposed by the State Rural Health Plan, Alabama Certificate of Need requirements, and applicable federal laws and regulations.

(c) A hospital may apply to the Department for designation as a Critical Access Hospital by submitting the necessary forms accompanied by the appropriate fee based on its licensed bed capacity. The certificate of licensure issued by the Department shall contain a notation that the facility has been designated as a Critical Access Hospital.

(d) If the hospital's designation as a Critical Access Hospital is denied, revoked, or rescinded, it shall remain a General Acute Care Hospital. A hospital may voluntarily surrender its status as a Critical Access Hospital at any time by submitting an application to the Department accompanied by the appropriate licensure fee based on its licensed bed capacity. A hospital that has, for any reason, reverted from the status of Critical Access Hospital to the status of General Acute Care Hospital shall no longer be restricted in its length of stay for inpatient care, and may apply for any authorized bed capacity not to exceed its licensed bed capacity.

(a) Number of Beds. A Specialized Hospital shall have at least 20 licensed beds.

(b) Basic Requirements. To be classified as a Specialized Hospital, an institution shall provide hospital services to pediatric patients only, pediatric, obstetrical, and gynecological patients only, ophthalmic patients only, psychiatric patients only, long term care patients only, or rehabilitation patients only, and shall have a medical staff and other professional and technical personnel especially qualified in the particular specialty for which the hospital is operated.

(c) Pediatric hospitals; pediatric, obstetrical, and gynecological hospitals; and ophthalmic hospitals shall meet all requirements for General Acute Care Hospitals, except they shall restrict their services offered, patients admitted, and medical privileges to the specialties they serve.