Hospital Operations

About Hospital Operations

Hospitals are grappling with staffing shortages, financial shortfalls, and extensive oversight and regulation. One in five hospitals is at risk of closure, yet hospitals remain committed to maintaining the care communities rely on and supporting the state’s health care workforce. To do this, hospitals are actively working with legislators and policymakers to find innovative and efficient ways to deliver care to all Californians.

Mandatory Neurodegenerative Disease Reporting Begins July 1

What’s happening: Starting July 1, providers diagnosing or treating patients with neurodegenerative diseases — such as Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson’s — are required to report each case to the California Neurodegenerative Disease Registry, run by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). 

CDPH Pauses Real-Time Bed Capacity System Implementation

What’s happening: The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is temporarily pausing implementation of its real-time hospital bed capacity system — named the Hospital Bed and Emergency Medical Services Data System — as it works to finalize operational details.  

HCAI’s Advisory Guide Explains Health Care Microgrid Requirements and More

What’s happening: Due to the continuity of electrical power required to support patient care, requirements for health care microgrids are above and beyond those of traditional microgrids — and health care facilities with microgrid projects under the Department of Health Care Access and Information’s (HCAI’s) jurisdiction can turn to a new microgrid advisory guide for assistance understanding the process.  

Rep. Matsui Raises Concerns About Tariffs’ Effects on Medical Supply Chains

What’s happening: Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA-7) lead a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer and U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on concerns about the effect tariffs would have on supply chains for medical supplies, generic drugs, and medical devices.  

What else to know: Twenty-six members of Congress signed on to the letter, including 11 from the California congressional delegation. 

Expanded Hospital Supplier Diversity Reports Due July 1

What’s happening: The first round of expanded Hospital Supplier Diversity Reports required under Assembly Bill (AB) 1392 (2023) are due to the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) on July 1.  

What else to know: In 2024, the Office of Administrative Law approved HCAI’s regulations to implement AB 1392. This year, the new reporting requirements are fully in effect — and HCAI has developed a new template to support and inform this updated reporting. 

CHA Publishes Web Page Dedicated to CDPH Checklists, Info Sheets

What’s happening: To assist hospitals in preparing for licensing and relicensing surveys — as well as making changes to their licenses, bed capacities, or services — CHA has created a web page that makes related resources easily accessible for hospital members.  

What else to know: The resource page includes the Licensing and Relicensing Survey Tool, General Entrance Conference List, Relicensing Survey Guidance materials, and more.  

CDPH All Facilities Letter Shares Change in Late Payment Penalty Notices

What’s happening: On April 4, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued an All Facilities Letter (AFL 25-14), which announced that the department is implementing a paperless process to communicate late payment penalty notices for Center for Health Care Quality health care facility licensing fees.    

What else to know: Beginning May 15, CDPH’s current practice — mailing a paper copy of the late payment penalty notice to the licensee — will change to a paperless process: CDPH’s Revenue Collection Unit will email the notice to the facility using the licensee email address reported to CDPH. If no licensee email address is on file, the unit will email the notice to the facility’s general contact email address reported to CDPH.  

Court Rules FDA Cannot Regulate Laboratory-Developed Tests

What’s happening: In a final judgment filed March 31, the U.S. District Court for Eastern Texas ruled that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) does not have the authority to regulate laboratory-developed tests, rendering a final rule issued May 6, 2024, null and void.  

What else to know: This final rule phased out the FDA’s general enforcement discretion approach for most laboratory-developed tests to instead provide greater oversight.