(f)Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) centers.(1) Definition. An AIDS center shall mean a hospital approved by the commissioner pursuant to Part 710 of this Title as a provider of designated, comprehensive and coordinated services for AIDS patients in accordance with the requirements of this section. These services shall include inpatient, outpatient, community and support services for the screening, diagnosis, treatment, care and follow-up of patients with AIDS.
(2) Administrative requirements. The hospital shall ensure that:
(i) integrated and comprehensive services are provided onsite to include, as a minimum, the following: (a) a designated patient care unit for AIDS patients, except that the commissioner may waive this requirement, under a plan acceptable to the commissioner for placing patients in other than a designated unit, if the AIDS center meets all other requirements of this section and the hospital can demonstrate:(1) that it is unable, due to structural or space limitations, to place the AIDS patients in a designated unit; or(2) specific programmatic or operational reasons why it is preferable not to use a designated unit or not practicable to have a designated unit for AIDS patients;(b) an outpatient clinic program for screening, diagnostic and treatment services for AIDS patients; and(c) emergency services, available 24 hours a day, for treatment of AIDS patients;(ii) other health care services, as appropriate, are provided directly or through contract for AIDS patients, to include at least the following: (a) home health care, provided through a home care services agency licensed or certified under article 36 of the Public Health Law, made available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; and(b) personal care services;(iii) all reasonable efforts are made to provide or arrange for the following services and programs to meet the needs of the AIDS patients: (a) residential health care;(b) hospice services provided through a hospice certified under article 40 of the Public Health Law; and(c) residential living programs;(iv) diagnostic and therapeutic radiology services and other specialized services are made available to meet the needs of AIDS patients;(v) inservice education programs which address the medical, psychological and social needs specific to AIDS patients are conducted for all hospital personnel caring for AIDS inpatients;(vi) infection control policies and procedures pertinent to AIDS are developed and implemented as an integral part of the hospital-wide infection control program;(vii) a quality assurance program, which includes a review of the appropriateness of care for patients with AIDS, is developed and implemented as an integral part of the overall quality assurance program;(viii) at the request of the department, it shall participate in clinical research programs approved by the hospital's institutional review board/human research review committee;(ix) resource information about AIDS shall be available to the public, and educational programs are provided for particular high-risk populations in their service area; and(x) a crisis intervention program shall be made available in coordination with other existing community services.(3) Patient referral, admission and discharge. The hospital shall ensure that:
(i) policies and procedures are developed and implemented which address admission criteria for AIDS patients, referral mechanisms and coordinated discharge planning;(ii) only patients who meet the admission criteria for AIDS are admitted to the designated patient care unit;(iii) services which the center provide are available to all persons regardless of age, race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, disability, national origin or ability to pay;(iv) there are transfer agreements in effect with other hospitals in accordance with section 400.9 of this Title for the acceptance of referrals or the transfer of AIDS patients in need of specialized services available at the center; and(v) professional staff responsible for planning patient discharges, referrals or transfers shall have available current information regarding home care programs, institutional health care providers and other support services within the hospital's primary service area.(4) Patient management plan. The hospital shall ensure that:
(i) a multidisciplinary team, whose composition reflects inpatient and outpatient care services, operating in conjunction with the attending physician:(a) shall be responsible for each AIDS patient;(b) shall include, as appropriate to the needs of the AIDS patient, health care professionals from nursing, nutritional, mental health and social work services; and(c) whenever practicable, the AIDS patient is assigned to the same multidisciplinary team;(ii) a comprehensive patient management plan is developed by the multidisciplinary professional team, the patient, and when appropriate, home health care or other nonacute long-term care representatives, in consultation with the patient's family and other individuals with significant personal ties to the patients, which: (a) shall reflect the ongoing psychological, social, functional and financial needs of the patient and is oriented to posthospital, ambulatory care and community support services;(b) shall be based on the patient's illness, prescribed treatments and the individual patient's needs and choices;(c) shall be reviewed and updated to reflect the patient's changing needs and current status;(d) shall include transfer or discharge and follow-up plans coordinated by the multidisciplinary team or the case manager;(e) shall be forwarded with the patient upon discharge or transfer for posthospital care; and(f) shall evaluate the extent to which the patient or patient's personal support system can provide or arrange to provide for identified care needs of the patient in the home situation;(iii) a case manager shall be designated from the multidisciplinary team to be responsible for coordinating the health care services and plan for each AIDS patient; and(iv) a mechanism shall be established to assure periodic reviews and updates of the patient management plan in conjunction with other agencies involved with, or responsible for, the care of the AIDS patient.(5) Medical director. The hospital shall appoint a physician who:
(i) shall be a qualified physician with special training in infectious diseases, oncology or other appropriate subspecialty;(ii) shall direct and coordinate all medical services provided in the AIDS center;(iii) shall ensure the implementation of the quality assurance program as specified in subparagraph (2)(vii) of this subdivision;(iv) shall ensure that all members of the health care team participate in the quality assurance program;(v) shall ensure that interdisciplinary rounds that include the health care professionals responsible for the patient's total care are made on a timely and sufficiently frequent basis as determined by each patient's needs;(vi) shall ensure that other qualified physician specialists are available for consultation as indicated by the patient's condition; and(vii) shall ensure that routine dental services are available for AIDS patients.(6) Quality assurance monitoring. (i) The commissioner shall monitor and evaluate the quality and appropriateness of care provided to AIDS patients by the AIDS center through mechanisms which include, but are not limited to, the monitoring and evaluation of patient management plans, utilization reviews and quality assurance programs.(ii) The department and its AIDS Institute shall develop criteria for assessing the effectiveness of AIDS centers in providing care that meets the special needs of AIDS patients.(7) Construction requirements. The designated patient care unit shall be a discrete unit which complies with the requirements of section 712.2 of this Title, except as modified by the following:
(i) maximum patient room capacity shall be two beds, except that more than two beds per room may be allowed under a protocol based on patient diagnosis and approved by the commissioner;(ii) patient room temperature shall be capable of being maintained between 70 and 80°F. Individual room air-conditioning units may be used; and(iii) each patient care unit shall have at least one functional dayroom with space commensurate with the needs of the patients.