1. (a) The department will consider a facility as a critical access hospital if the department finds that the facility

   1. (1) provides inpatient short-term hospitalization for medical care of acute illness or injury;
   2. (2) has no more than 25 inpatient beds;
   3. (3) is located in a rural area of no more than 15,000 residents, based on the most recent calculations of the United States Bureau of Census; and
   4. (4) meets the applicable requirements of 7 AAC 12.100 - 7 AAC 12.190 and 7 AAC 12.600 - 7 AAC 12.990.
2. (b) If a facility provides all of the services described in 7 AAC 12.105(a), the facility may elect to be licensed as either a general acute care hospital or a critical access hospital.
3. (c) If a facility qualifies both as a rural primary care hospital under 7 AAC 12.102 and as a critical access hospital under this section, the facility may elect to be licensed as either a rural primary care hospital or a critical access hospital.

(Eff. 9/1/2000, Register 155; am 6/23/2006, Register 178)

Authority: AS 47.32.010, AS 47.32.030