(1) A hospice shall have a clearly defined organized governing body, consisting of a minimum of seven persons who are representative of the general population of the community served. The governing body shall have autonomous authority and responsibility for the operation of the hospice and shall meet at least quarterly. The governing body shall:

(a) Adopt an annual plan for the operation of the hospice, which shall include a plan for providing for uncompensated care and philanthropic community activities.

(b)1. Prepare and maintain a comprehensive emergency management plan that provides for continuing hospice services in the event of an emergency that is consistent with local special needs plans. The plan shall include provisions for ensuring continuing care to hospice patients who go to special needs shelters. The plan shall include the means by which the hospice provider will continue to provide staff to provide the same type and quantity of services to their patients who evacuate to special needs shelters which were being provided to those patients prior to evacuation. The plan is subject to review and approval by the county health department, except as provided in subparagraph 2. During its review, the county health department shall contact state and local health and medical stakeholders when necessary. The county health department shall complete its review to ensure that the plan complies with criteria in rules of the agency within 90 days after receipt of the plan and shall either approve the plan or advise the hospice of necessary revisions. Hospice providers may establish links to local emergency operations centers to determine a mechanism by which to approach specific areas within a disaster area in order for the provider to reach its clients. A hospice shall demonstrate a good faith effort to comply with the requirements of this paragraph by documenting attempts of staff to follow procedures as outlined in the hospice’s comprehensive emergency management plan and to provide continuing care for those hospice clients who have been identified as needing alternative caregiver services in the event of an emergency.

2. For any hospice that operates in more than one county, the Department of Health during its review shall contact state and local health and medical stakeholders when necessary. The Department of Health shall complete its review to ensure that the plan complies with criteria in rules of the agency within 90 days after receipt of the plan and shall approve the plan or advise the hospice of necessary revisions. The Department of Health shall make every effort to avoid imposing differing requirements on a hospice that operates in more than one county as a result of differing or conflicting comprehensive plan requirements of the counties in which the hospice operates.

(c) Adopt an annual budget.

(d) Appoint a director who shall be responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of the hospice and who shall serve as the liaison between the governing body and the hospice staff.

(e) Undertake such additional activities as necessary to ensure that the hospice is complying with the requirements for hospice services as set forth in this part.

(2) Each hospice shall develop and implement a comprehensive quality assurance and utilization review plan to be used for ongoing internal evaluation of the appropriateness and effectiveness of the hospice services provided. Each hospice shall take the corrective actions identified by the review and report a summary of these actions to the governing body at least annually.

(3) Each hospice shall ensure that adequate policies, procedures, and systems are developed and implemented to provide effective delivery of services.

History.—s. 10, ch. 79-186; s. 2, ch. 81-318; ss. 74, 79, 83, ch. 83-181; ss. 10, 14, ch. 93-179; s. 17, ch. 2000-140; s. 24, ch. 2006-71; s. 7, ch. 2019-11.