THI RD DI VI SI ON

M C FA DDEN, C. J.

, D OYLE, P. J.

, and HODGES, J.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

https ://w w w

. ga a ppe a ls .us /r ule s

D E A D LIN E S A R E N O LO N G E R TO LLE D IN T

H I S

C O U R T. A LL FILIN G S M U ST B E S U B M I TTE D WITH IN

TH E TIM E S S E T B Y

O U R C O U R T R U LE S

.

October 9, 2020



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 0 A1 31 9

. CKCG HEALTHCARE SERVICES, INC. et al

. v

. GEORGIA DEPARTM ENT OF COM M UNITY HEALTH. M cF-0 4 8

M C F A D D E N , Ch i ef J u d g e.

Th i s d i rect ap p eal is fro m a s u p eri o r co u rt deci s i o n rev i ewi n g d eci s i o n s o f a

s t at e ad m i n i s t rat i v e ag en cy

. Becau se t h e ap pel l an t s fai l ed t o s u b m i t an ap p l i cat i o n fo r

d i s cret i o n ary ap p eal as req u i red b y OCGA § 5 -6 -3 5, we lack ju ri s d ict i o n an d t h e

ap p eal m u st b e d i s m is s ed

.

1

. Fa ct s a n d p r o ced

ur a l p o s t u r e.

Th e Geo rg ia Dep art m en t o f Co m m u n i t y Heal t h i s r es p on s i bl e fo r reg u l at i n g

h eal t h care faci l i t i es i n Geo rg i a, i n cl u di n g p ri v at e h o m e care p ro v i d ers

. See OCGA

§ 3 1 -7 -3 0 0 et s eq

. CKCG Heal t h care Serv i ces , In c. an d Sh an n on Pri vat e Ho m e Care,

In c. are two s u ch li cen ced p ri v at e h o m e care p ro v i d ers

. In Au g u s t an d Oct ob er 2 0 1 8,t h e d ep art m en t p e r f o r m ed s ep arat e l i cen s u re i n s p ect i o n s o f Sh an n on an d CKCG.

Pu rs u an t t o t h e i n s p ect i o ns , wh i ch in cl u d ed reco rd rev i ews an d em p l oy ee in t erv i ews ,

t h e d ep art m e n t d e t erm i n ed t hat b o t h CKCG an d Sh an n o n w ere i m p ro p erl y u s i n g

cert ai n cert i fi ed n u rs i ng a s s i s t an t s i n v i o l at io n o f d ep art m en t ru l es an d s t at e l aw

p ro h ib i t i ng th e u s e of u n l icen s ed i n d ep en den t co n t ract o r s t o p ro v i d e h o m e care

s erv i ces

. Th e d ep art m en t no t i fi ed CKCG an d Sh an n o n o f i t s d eci s i o n s an d d i rect ed

each o f t hem t o p ro v i d e s peci fi c p l an s t o co rrect each v i o l at io n wi t h i n t en d ay s o f

recei p t o f t hei r res p ect i v e v i o l at i o n s rep o rt s.

CKCG an d Sh an n o n jo i n t l y ch a l l e n g e d t h e d eci s i o n s b y fi li n g a p et i t i o n fo r

d ecl arat ory ju d g m en t i n s u peri o r co u rt

, arg u i n g t h at OCGA § 3 1 -7 -3 0 0 d o e s n o t

p ro h ib i t th em fro m u s i n g cert i fi ed n u rs i n g as s is tan t s as i n d ep en den t co nt ract o rs to

p ro v id e h o m e care s erv i ces an d t h at dep art m en t reg u l at i o n s co nfl i ct wi t h t he s t at u t e.

Aft er a h eari n g , th e co u rt en t ered a fi n al o rd er d en y i n g t h e p et i ti o n , fi nd i ng t h at t h e

s t at u te d o es n o t a l l o w th e u s e o f cert i fi ed n u rs i n g as s i s t an t s as i n d ep en d en t

co n tract ors t o pro v i de h o m e care s erv i ces , t h at d ep art m en t reg u l at i on s are co n s i s t en t

wi t h t he s t at u t e, an d t h at CKCG an d Sh an n o n w ere i n vi o l at i o n o f d ep art m en t ru l es

an d s t at e law wh en th ey u s ed u n l i cen s ed n u rsing a ssista nts as i n d ep en d en t co n t ract o rs

t o p ro v i de h o m e care s erv i ces

. CKCG an d Sh an n o n fi l ed t h i s d i rect ap p eal fro m t h at

2o rd er. T h e d ep art m en t m o v ed t o d i s m i s s t h e ap p eal on t h e b as i s t h at i t fai l s to co m p l y

wi t h t h e m an d at o ry

ap p li cat i o n p ro ced u res o f OCGA § 5 -6 -3 5.

2

. Ap p l i ca t i o n f

o r a p p ea l

.

“ OCGA § 5 -6 -3 5 (a) (1 ) req u ires a n ap p l i cat i on fo r [a] p p eal s fro m d eci s i on s

o f t h e s u p eri o r co u rt s rev i ewi n g d eci s i o n s o f s t at e an d l o cal ad m i n is t rat i v e ag en ci es .”

S ch uma ch er v. Ci t

y o f R o s wel l

, 3 0 1 Ga. 6 3 5

, 6 3 6 -6 37 (1 ) (8 0 3 SE2 d 6 6 ) (2 0 1 7 )

(p u n ct u at i o n o m i tt ed ). Th at req u i rem en t o b t ai n s n o twi th s t an d i n g t h at t he s u p eri o r

co u rt ’ s “ ju d g m en t was en tered i n a p ro ceed i n g fo r

. . . d ecl arat o ry rel i ef.

. . . [W ] h en

we co n si d er t h e n at u re o f t he pro ceed i n g s i n t h e s up eri o r co u rt fo r t h e p u rp o s es o f

OCGA § 5 –6 –5 (a) (1 ), we l o ok t o t h e s u b s t an ce o f t h o s e p ro ceed i n g s , no t m erel y t h e

fo rm o f t he rel ief s o u g h t

. ” S t a t e o f Ga

. v. In t l

. Keys t o n e Kn ig h ts o f t h e Ku Kl u x Kl a n ,

2 9 9 Ga. 3 9 2

, 4 0 7 (4 ) (7 8 8 SE2 d 4 5 5 ) (2 0 1 6 ).

“ [A] n act o f an ad m in i s t rat i v e ag en cy i s a ‘ d eci s i o n ’ wi t h i n t h e m ean i n g o f t h i s

s t at u te o n l y wh en i t i s a det erm i n at i o n o f an ‘ ad ju d i cat i v e n at u re.’ ” S c h u m a ch er ,

s u p ra at 6 3 7 (1 ). “ Det erm i nat i o n s o f an ad ju d i cat i v e n at u re, [u n l ik e t h os e o f a

l eg i s lat i v e n at u re]

, are im m ed i a t e i n a p pl i cat io n , s p eci fi c in ap p l i cat i o n , an d

co m m o n ly i nv o l v e an as s es s m en t o f fact s ab o u t t h e part i es an d t h ei r a c t i v i t i es ,

b u s i n es s es , an d p ro p ert i es .” Id

. (ci t at io n o m i t t ed ). Ou r Su p rem e Co urt h as reject ed

3t h e arg u m en t “ t h at a ‘ d eci s i on ’ al s o m u s t b e m ark ed b y f

o r m al ad ju d i cat i v e

p ro ced ures .” Keys t o n e Kn i g ht s , s u p ra at 4 0 4 (4 ).

Here, t h e dep art m en t’ s d et erm i n at io n s were ad ju d i cat i v e i n th at t h ey i n v o l v ed

an in v es t i g at i o n an d as s es s m en t o f fact s ab o u t CKCG an d Sh an n o n reg ard i n g t h ei r

u s e o f cert i fi ed nu rs i n g as s i s t an t s i n t h ei r b u si n es s act i v i t ies

, an d t h e d ep art m en t ’ s

d eci s i o n s were i m

m ed i at e an d s p eci fi c i n ap p l i cat i o n t o CKCG an d Sh an n o n i n t h at

t h ey as s es sed s p eci fi c v i o lat io n s o f d ep art m en t ru l es an d d i r e c t ed t h at co rrect i v e

act i on b e t ak en i m

m ed iat el y

. Becau s e CKCG an d Sh an n o n ap p eal fro m t h e s u p eri o r

co u rt ’ s d eci s i o n rev i ewi n g t h e d e p art m en t ’ s ad ju d i cat i v e d eci si o n s , t h ey were

“ req u i r e d u n d er OCGA § 5 -6 -3 5 (a) (1 ) t o b ri n g [t h ei r] ap p eal b y way o f an

ap p li cat io n fo r d is cret i o n ary rev i ew. [Th ey ] fai l ed to d o s o , an d t h at ci rcu m s t an ce

l eav e s t h i s [c] ou rt wi t h o u t ap p el l at e ju ri s d i ct i o n

. Acco rd i n g l y , t h is ap p eal m u s t b e

d i s m i s s ed .” Keys t o n e Kn i gh t s , s u p ra at 4 0 8 (5 ). Co m

p are Ca r s on v. Br o wn , 3 4 8 Ga.

Ap p

. 68 9

, 6 9 7 (1 ) (c) (i ) (8 2 4 SE2 d 60 5 ) (2 0 1 9 ) (ap p l i cat i on fo r ap p eal n o t req u i red

wh ere t h ere was n o ad m i n i s t rat i v e d eci s io n ).

Ap p ea l d i s mi s s ed . Do

yl e, P. J., a nd

Ho d g es , J., co n cu r

.

4