(1) Any interested party may request an inspection of the records and related financial affairs of a provider providing care in accordance with this chapter by transmitting to the office notice of an alleged violation of applicable requirements prescribed by statute or by rule, specifying to a reasonable extent the details of the alleged violation, which notice must be signed by the complainant. As used in this section, the term “inspection” means an inquiry into a provider’s compliance with this chapter.
(2) The substance of the complaint shall be given to the provider no earlier than the time of the inspection. Unless the complainant specifically requests otherwise, neither the substance of the complaint which is provided to the provider nor any copy of the complaint or any record which is published, released, or otherwise made available to the provider shall disclose the name of any person mentioned in the complaint except the name of any duly authorized officer, employee, or agent of the office conducting the investigation or inspection pursuant to this chapter.
(3) Upon receipt of a complaint, the office shall make a preliminary review to determine if the complaint alleges a violation of this chapter and, unless the office determines that the complaint does not allege a violation of this chapter or is without any reasonable basis, the office shall make an inspection. The office shall provide the complainant with a written acknowledgment of the complaint within 15 days after receipt by the office. The complainant shall be advised, within 30 days after the receipt of the complaint by the office, of the office’s determination that the complaint does not allege a violation of this chapter, that the complaint is without any reasonable basis, or that the office will make an inspection. The notice must include an estimated timeframe for completing the inspection and a contact number. If the inspection is not completed within the estimated timeframe, the office must provide the complainant with a revised timeframe. Within 15 days after completing an inspection, the office shall provide the complainant and the provider a written statement specifying any violations of this chapter and any actions taken or that no such violation was found.
(4) No provider operating under a certificate of authority under this chapter may discriminate or retaliate in any manner against a resident or an employee of a facility providing care because such resident or employee or any other person has initiated a complaint pursuant to this section.
History.—s. 1, ch. 77-323; ss. 18, 25, ch. 81-292; s. 2, ch. 81-318; s. 3, ch. 83-265; ss. 19, 31, 33, 35, ch. 83-328; s. 12, ch. 93-22; s. 21, ch. 97-229; s. 1689, ch. 2003-261; s. 28, ch. 2019-160.