A critical access hospital (CAH), as defined in He-P 802.03(t), shall meet the criteria set forth in He-P 802, except as follows:

1. (a) A CAH may obtain swing-bed approval to provide post-hospital skilled nursing facility-level care in inpatient beds, which shall not be counted in the 96-hour calculation;
2. (b) A CAH may contract with a licensed hospice to provide hospice care;
3. (c) The CAH may dedicate beds to the hospice, but the beds shall be counted toward the 25-bed maximum;
4. (d) The hospice patient shall not be included in the calculation of the 96-hour annual average length of stay;
5. (e) The hospice patient may be admitted to the CAH for any care involved in their treatment plan or for respite care;
6. (f) In addition to the 25-inpatient CAH beds, a CAH may also operate a psychiatric or a rehabilitation distinct part unit of up to 10 beds each;
7. (g) A CAH shall notify the department when it receives CAH status;
8. (h) The department shall issue a license to a CAH, which shall designate the number of staffed beds, up to the maximum allowed under critical access;
9. (i) The CAH shall be exempt from He-P 802.34(f) and instead may have a certified registered nurse anesthetist;
10. (j) If a CAH wishes to change its critical access status, the hospital shall notify the department;
11. (k) The CAH shall be exempt from He-P 802.35(a) and (c); and
12. (l) The CAH shall be exempt from He-P 802.17(c) and instead may have a medical director, as defined in He-P 802.03(bh), who is employed less than full time.

Source. #9580, eff 10-24-09; ss by #12407, INTERIM, eff 10-24-17, EXPIRED: 4-22-18 New. #13166, eff 1-28-21 (formerly He-P 802.32); ss by #14081, eff 9-25-24, EXPIRES: 9-25-34 (formerly He-P 802.35)