California Code of Regulations
Title 22 - Social Security
Division 5 - Licensing and Certification of Health Facilities, Home Health Agencies, Clinics, and Referral Agencies
Chapter 1 - General Acute Care Hospitals
Article 2 - License
Section 70101 - Inspection of Hospitals

(a) The Department shall inspect and license hospitals.

(b) Any officer, employee or agent of the Department may, upon presentation of proper identification, enter and inspect any building or premises at any reasonable time to secure compliance with, or to prevent a violation of, any provision of these regulations.

(c) All hospitals for which a license has been issued shall be inspected periodically by a representative or representatives appointed by the Department. Inspections shall be conducted as frequently as necessary, but not less than once every two years, to assure that quality care is being provided. During the inspection, the representative or representatives of the Department shall offer such advice and assistance to the hospital as is appropriate. For hospitals of 100 licensed bed capacity or more, the inspection team shall include at least a physician, registered nurse and persons experienced in hospital administration and sanitary inspections.

(d) The Department may provide consulting services upon request to any hospital to assist in the identification or correction of deficiencies or the upgrading of the quality of care provided by the hospital.

(e) The Department shall notify the hospital of all deficiencies of compliance with these regulations and the hospital shall agree with the Department upon a plan of corrections which shall give the hospital a reasonable time to correct such deficiencies. If at the end of the allotted time, as revealed by repeat inspection, the hospital has failed to correct the deficiencies, the Director may take action to revoke or suspend the license.

(f) Reports on the results of each inspection of a hospital shall be prepared by the inspector or inspection team and shall be kept on file in the Department along with the plan of correction and hospital comments. The inspection report may include a recommendation for reinspection. All inspection reports, lists of deficiencies and plans of correction shall be open to public inspection without regard to which body performs the inspection.

(g) The Department shall have the authority to contract for outside personnel to perform inspections of hospitals as the need arises. The Department, when feasible, shall contract with nonprofit, professional organizations which have demonstrated the ability to carry out the provisions of this section. Such organizations shall include, but not be limited to, the California Medical Association Committee on Medical Staff Surveys and participants in the Consolidated Hospital Survey Program.