Effective: September 29, 2015
Latest Legislation: House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly
(A)(1) The department of mental health and addiction services shall inspect and license all hospitals that receive mentally ill persons, except those hospitals managed by the department. No hospital may receive for care or treatment, either at public or private expense, any person who is or appears to be mentally ill, whether or not so adjudicated, unless the hospital has received a license from the department authorizing it to receive for care or treatment persons who are mentally ill or the hospital is managed by the department.
(2) No such license shall be granted to a hospital for the treatment of mentally ill persons unless the department is satisfied, after investigation, that the hospital is managed and operated by qualified persons and has on its staff one or more qualified physicians responsible for the medical care of the patients confined there. At least one such physician shall be a psychiatrist.
(B) The department shall adopt rules under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code prescribing minimum standards for the operation of hospitals for the care and treatment of mentally ill persons and establishing standards and procedures for the issuance, renewal, or revocation of full, probationary, and interim licenses. No license shall be granted to any hospital established or used for the care of mentally ill persons unless such hospital is operating in accordance with this section and rules adopted pursuant to this section. A full license shall expire one year after the date of issuance, a probationary license shall expire at the time prescribed by rule adopted pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code by the director of mental health and addiction services, and an interim license shall expire ninety days after the date of issuance. A full, probationary, or interim license may be renewed, except that an interim license may be renewed only twice. The department may fix reasonable fees for licenses and for license renewals. Such hospitals are subject to inspection and on-site review by the department.
(C) Except as otherwise provided in Chapter 5122. of the Revised Code, neither the director of mental health and addiction services; an employee of the department; a board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services or employee of a community mental health services provider; nor any other public official shall hospitalize any mentally ill person for care or treatment in any hospital that is not licensed in accordance with this section.
(D) The department may issue an order suspending the admission of patients who are mentally ill to a hospital for care or treatment if it finds either of the following:
(1) The hospital is not in compliance with rules adopted by the director pursuant to this section.
(2) The hospital has been cited for more than one violation of statutes or rules during any previous period of time during which the hospital is licensed pursuant to this section.
(E) Any license issued by the department under this section may be revoked or not renewed by the department for any of the following reasons:
(1) The hospital is no longer a suitable place for the care or treatment of mentally ill persons.
(2) The hospital refuses to be subject to inspection or on-site review by the department.
(3) The hospital has failed to furnish humane, kind, and adequate treatment and care.
(4) The hospital fails to comply with the licensure rules of the department.
(F) The department may inspect, conduct an on-site review, and review the records of any hospital that the department has reason to believe is operating without a license.