What’s happening: On Jan. 21, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released two All Facilities Letters (AFLs), AFL 25-02 and AFL 25-03, intended for hospitals and skilled-nursing facilities (SNFs) impacted by the Los Angeles fires.
What else to know: The AFLs issue instructions for regulatory relief and explain the process for program flexes, including staffing waiver requests.
The AFLs cover:
- Staffing — For hospitals and SNFs experiencing a surge of patients or staffing shortages resulting from fire or windstorm impacts, including school closures or an emergency (such as a public safety power shutoff), staffing waivers can be requested via CDPH’s Program Flex portal.
- Licensure — For change of beds and services, hospitals must submit a Program Flex application, but approval is not required before providing care.
- Space — Hospitals may convert the use of existing space and use additional space, including surge tents, to care for additional patients.
CHA continues to collect information from federal and state government agencies in response to the fires, and information is posted on CHA’s resource web page. Contact Trina Gonzalez, vice president, policy, at tgonzalez@calhospital.org with any questions.
