Florida Administrative Code › 59 - AGENCY FOR HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION › 59A - Health Facility and Agency Licensing › Chapter 59A-38 - HOSPICE PROCEDURES › Section 59A-38.008 - Medical Direction

Current through Reg. 50, No. 138; July 16, 2024
(1) The hospice
				shall employ a medical director who shall be a hospice physician licensed in
				the State of Florida pursuant to chapter 458 or 459, F.S., who has admission
				privileges at one or more hospitals commonly serving patients in that hospice's
				service area as defined in rule
				59C-1.0355, F.A.C. Duties shall
				be enumerated in a job description, including job qualifications, which shall
				be kept in an administrative file.
(2)
(a) The
				medical director or his or her designee, a physician licensed under chapter 458
				or 459, F.S., must be a member of the hospice care team and must be responsible
				for the direction and quality of the medical component of the care rendered to
				the patient by the hospice care team. The patient's attending physician(s) may
				remain the primary physician(s) to the patient, depending upon the preferences
				of the patient and the patient's family. The patient and the patient's family
				may elect to have the hospice medical director assume all or part of the
				primary medical care functions, or act as a consultant to the patient's
				attending physician(s). In either case, the hospice care team must maintain a
				reporting relationship with the patient's attending physician(s).
(b) Duties of the medical director shall
				include:
1. Reviewing clinical material of the
				patient's attending physician(s) to document basic disease process, prescribed
				medicines, assessment of patient's health at time of entry and the drug
				regimen, or performing an admission history and physical for each
				patient.
2. Validating the
				attending physician(s)' prognosis and life expectancy for the
				patient.
3. Assisting in developing
				and medically validating the plan of care for each patient and family unit with
				the coordination of the patient's attending physician(s).
4. Attending and actively participating in
				patient and family care conferences.
5. Rendering or actively supervising medical
				care for hospice patients and maintaining a record of such care.
6. Maintaining a regular schedule of
				participation in all components of the hospice care program and maintaining
				twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week coverage of and ready
				availability to the hospice program through him or herself or his or her
				licensed hospice physician designee.
7. Acting as a consultant to attending,
				including personal, physicians and other members of the hospice care team;
				helping to develop and review policies and procedures for delivering care and
				services to the patient and family unit; serving on appropriate committees; and
				reporting regularly to the hospice administrator regarding medical care
				delivered to the hospice patients.
8. Maintaining liaison with the patient's
				attending physician(s), who is encouraged to provide primary care to his or her
				patient even though the patient also receives hospice care. The hospice
				physician will provide palliative care to his or her patient.
9. Establishing written protocols for symptom
				control, i.e., pain, nausea, vomiting, or other symptoms.
10. Assisting the administrator in
				developing, documenting and implementing a policy for discharge of patients
				from hospice care.