SECTION 32.1-126. Commissioner to inspect and to issue licenses to or assure compliance with certification requirements for hospitals, nursing homes, and certified nursing facilities; notice of denial of license; consultative advice and assistance; notice to electric utilities  

A. Pursuant to this article, the Commissioner shall issue licenses to, and assure compliance with certification requirements for hospitals and nursing homes, and assure compliance with certification requirements for facilities owned or operated by agencies of the Commonwealth as defined in subdivision (vi) of § 32.1-124 , which after inspection are found to be in compliance with the provisions of this article and with all applicable state and federal regulations. The Commissioner shall notify by certified mail or by overnight express mail any applicant denied a license of the reasons for such denial.

B. The Commissioner shall cause each and every hospital, nursing home, and certified nursing facility to be inspected periodically, but not less often than biennially, in accordance with the provisions of this article and regulations of the Board. However, except when performed in conjunction with an inspection required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, no hospital, nursing home, or certified nursing facility shall receive additional inspections until all other hospitals, nursing homes, or certified nursing facilities in the Commonwealth, respectively, have also been inspected, unless the additional inspections are (i) necessary to follow up on a preoperational inspection or one or more violations; (ii) required by a uniformly applied risk-based schedule established by the Department; (iii) necessary to investigate a complaint regarding the hospital, nursing home, or certified nursing facility; or (iv) otherwise deemed necessary by the Commissioner or his designee to protect the health and safety of the public.

Unless expressly prohibited by federal statute or regulation, the findings of the Commissioner, with respect to periodic surveys of nursing facilities conducted pursuant to the Survey, Certification, and Enforcement Procedures set forth in 42 C.F.R. Part 488, shall be considered case decisions pursuant to the Administrative Process Act (§ 32.1-124 et seq.) and shall be subject to the Department's informal dispute resolution procedures, or, at the option of the Department or the nursing facility, the formal fact-finding procedures under § 32.1-124 . The Commonwealth shall be deemed the proponent for purposes of § 32.1-124 . Further, notwithstanding the provisions of clause (iii) of subsection A of § 32.1-124 , such case decisions shall also be subject to the right to court review pursuant to Article 5 (§ 32.1-124 et seq.) of Chapter 40 of Title 2.2.

C. The Commissioner may, in accordance with regulations of the Board, provide for consultative advice and assistance, with such limitations and restrictions as he deems proper, to any person who intends to apply for a hospital or nursing home license or nursing facility certification.

D. For the purpose of facilitating the prompt restoration of electrical service and prioritization of customers during widespread power outages, the Commissioner shall notify on a quarterly basis all electric utilities serving customers in Virginia as to the location of all nursing homes licensed in the Commonwealth. The requirements of this subsection shall be met if the Commissioner maintains such information on an electronic database accessible by electric utilities serving customers in Virginia.

E. No person shall use, in any advertisement for professional services provided by such person, the results of any survey, inspection, or investigation of a nursing home or certified nursing facility conducted by a state or federal agency, including any statement of deficiencies, finding of deficiencies, or plan of corrective action, unless the advertisement includes all of the following:

1. The date on which the survey, inspection, or investigation was conducted;

2. A statement that the nursing home or certified nursing facility is required to submit a plan of correction in response to every statement of deficiency;

3. If a finding or deficiency cited in a statement of deficiencies has been corrected, a statement that the finding or deficiency has been corrected and the date on which the finding or deficiency was corrected; and

4. A statement that the advertisement is not authorized or endorsed by the Virginia Department of Health, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Office of the Inspector General, or any other governmental agency.

The information required by this subsection shall be in the same color, font, and size as all other language on or in the advertisement and shall appear as prominently as all other language used in the advertisement. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the results of a survey, inspection, or investigation from being used in any administrative proceeding, civil proceeding, or criminal investigation or prosecution, in accordance with the rules set forth by the applicable tribunal.

Code 1950, §§ 32-300, 32-305; 1977, c. 155; 1979, c. 711; 1989, c. 618; 1996, cc. 32.1-124 , 32.1-124 ; 2000, c. 32.1-124 ; 2002, c. 32.1-124 ; 2004, c. 32.1-124 ; 2017, c. 32.1-124 ; 2018, c. 32.1-124 ; 2019, cc. 32.1-124 , 32.1-124 .