La. Admin. Code tit. 48 § I-9479

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section I-9479 - Organization and Staffing

A. The organization of services shall be appropriate to the scope of the services offered. The rehabilitation service shall employ and define the leadership structure in accordance with the facility administration.

1. - 4. Repealed.

B. Medical Director. The medical director of rehabilitation services shall:

1. be a doctor of medicine or osteopathy;

2. be licensed to practice medicine or surgery in accordance with state law;

3. have completed a one-year hospital internship;

4. have had at least two years of training or experience, within the last five years, in the medical management of patients requiring rehabilitation services;

5. provide services to the rehabilitation hospital or rehabilitation unit on a full-time basis;

a. This provision does not apply to rehabilitation units.

b. The hospital shall define the term full-time as it applies to all of its employees.

6. have experience and training of rehabilitation services to perform all of the functions within the service; and

7. be responsible to ensure that the objectives of each of the therapeutic disciplines of the rehabilitation program are efficiently conducted within the stated mission of the program and in accordance with acceptable, nationally recognized standards of practice and/or guidelines for rehabilitation medicine.

C. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychology/neuropsychology, speech therapy and audiology services shall be provided by staff that meet the qualifications in accordance with Louisiana law. All rehabilitation staff shall be duly licensed to practice in the areas in which they provide service.

D. A rehabilitation unit in a general hospital shall have an RN as manager of the rehabilitation unit. The RN shall have at least one year of clinical nursing experience providing rehabilitative nursing care. The unit shall provide 24-hour RN coverage with an adequate number of licensed nurses and rehabilitative workers to provide the nursing care necessary under each patient's active treatment program.

E. In a rehabilitation hospital, the director of nursing services shall be a full-time registered nurse who has three years clinical nursing experience, one of which shall be in providing rehabilitative nursing care. In addition to the director of nursing services, the hospital shall provide 24-hour registered nurse coverage with an adequate number of licensed nurses and rehabilitative workers to provide the nursing care necessary under each patient's active treatment program.

F. If provided, psychological services shall be provided by or supervised by a psychologist licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists.

G. Social services shall be provided by a licensed clinical social worker and shall meet the needs of the patients.

H. If the hospital provides a range of rehabilitation services, the services shall define criteria for admission to the inpatient rehabilitation program and discharge from the inpatient program.

I. There shall be an interdisciplinary team which should include, but not be limited to:

1. a registered nurse with rehabilitation experience on each shift;

2. restorative nursing assistants and/or certified nursing aides;

3. a physical therapist;

4. an occupational therapist;

5. a physician experienced in rehabilitation medicine;

6. a social worker; and

7. a speech-language pathologist.

8. Repealed.

J. The program should provide or make arrangements for:

1. audiology services;

2. driver assessment;

3. driver education;

4. medical nutrition therapy;

5. orthotic services;

6. prosthetic services;

7. rehabilitation resources (independent centers);

8. vocational rehabilitation;

9. durable medical equipment;

10. specialty consultants;

11. a psychologist/neuropsychologist; and

12. other services consistent with the criteria for admission.

La. Admin. Code tit. 48, § I-9479

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of the Secretary, Bureau of Health Services Financing LR 21:177 (February 1995), amended LR 29:2423 (November 2003), Amended by the Department of Health, Health Standards Section, LR 501490 (10/1/2024).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S.36:254 and R.S. 40:2100-2115.