An acute care facility is a health facility having a duly constituted governing body with overall administrative and professional responsibility, and an organized medical staff that provides 24-hour inpatient care, including the following basic services: Medical, nursing, surgical, anesthesia, laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, and dietary services.
All acute care facilities in the State of California are governed by the Department of Public Health’s Center for Health Care Quality (CHCQ), which is responsible for the regulatory oversight of health facilities to secure safe, effective and quality healthcare for all Californians. CHCQ evaluates health care facilities for compliance with state laws and regulations, and also investigates complaints and ensures health facilities’ compliance with federal laws and regulations.
Complaints about an acute care facility can be made to the California Department of Public Health, Licensing and Certification Division, through their website at www.cdph.ca.gov.
All licensed acute care facilities are listed on the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development’s website, www.oshpd.ca.gov. This list is updated as of June 30 and December 31 of each year.
