South Carolina Code of Regulations › Chapter 61 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL › Subchapter 61-16 - Minimum Standards for Licensing Hospitals and Institutional General Infirmaries › Sec2 61-16.300 - ENFORCING REGULATIONS AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS › Section 61-16.305 - Violation Classifications

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 6, June 28, 2024
Violations of standards in this regulation are classified as follows:
A. Class I violations are those that the Department determines to present an imminent danger to the health and safety of the persons in the facility or a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result there from. A physical condition or one (1) or more practices, means, methods or operations in use in a facility may constitute such a violation. The condition or practice constituting a Class I violation shall be abated or eliminated immediately unless a fixed period of time, as stipulated by the Department, is required for correction. When a specific time is designated for correction, each day such violation exists after expiration of the time established by the Department shall be considered a subsequent violation.
B. Class II violations are those, other than Class I violations, that the Department determines to have a negative impact on the health and safety of persons in the facility. The citation of a Class II violation may specify the time within which the violation is required to be corrected. When a specific time is designated for correction, each day such violation exists after expiration of the time established by the Department shall be considered a subsequent violation.
C. Class III violations are those that are not classified as Class I or II in these regulations or those that are against the best practices as interpreted by the Department. The citation of a Class III violation may specify the time within which the violation is required to be corrected. When a specific time is designated for correction, each day such violation exists after expiration of the time established by the Department shall be considered a subsequent violation.
D. Violations of §
									44-7-320(A)(1)(c) of the South Carolina Code of Laws of 1976, as amended, are considered Class I violations.
E. The notations, "(I)" or "(II)" placed within sections of this regulation, indicate those standards are considered Class I or II violations, respectively, if they are not met. Standards not so annotated are considered Class III violations.
F. In arriving at a decision to take enforcement action, the Department will consider the following factors: the number and classification of violations, including repeat violations; specific conditions and their impact or potential impact on health and safety of the patients; efforts by the facility to correct cited violations; behavior of the licensee that would reflect negatively on the licensee's character, such as illegal or illicit activities; overall conditions of the facility; history of compliance; any other pertinent conditions that may be applicable to statutes and regulations.
G. When a decision is made to impose monetary penalties, the Department may invoke S.C. Code Ann. Section 44-7-320(C) (1976, as amended), to determine the dollar amount or may utilize the following schedule as a guide to determine the dollar amount:
Frequency of Violation of Standard within a 24-month period
MONETARY PENALTY RANGES
Class I
Class II
Class III
1st
$ 200-1000
$ 100-500
$ 100
2nd
500-2000
200-1000
100-500
3rd
1000-5000
500-2000
200-1000
4th
5000
1000-5000
500-2000
5th
5000
5000
1000-5000
6th and more
5000
5000
5000
H. In addition to or in lieu of any action taken by the Department affecting the license of any hospital, when it is established that any officer, employee, or member of the hospital medical staff has recklessly violated the provisions of Section 1201.D.1, the Department may require the hospital to pay a civil penalty of up to ten thousand dollars pursuant to 44-7-260(E).
I. Any Department decision involving the issuance, denial, renewal, suspension, or revocation of a license and/or the imposition of monetary penalties where an enforcement action order has been issued may be appealed by an affected person with standing pursuant to applicable law, including S.C. Code Title 44, Chapter 1; and Title 1, Chapter 23.