2019 New York Laws
PBH - Public Health
Article 47 - Shared Health Facilities
4710 - Shared Health Facilities; Quality of Care Requirements.

§ 4710. Shared health facilities; quality of care requirements.  1. To
ensure quality, continuity and proper coordination of medical care, each
shared health facility shall:
  (a)  designate  an  individual  who  shall  coordinate  and manage the
facility's activities. The person so designated shall be responsible for
compliance with the provisions of this article;
  (b) devise an appropriate means of insuring that (i) patients will  be
scheduled  to  return  for  appropriate  follow-up care and (ii) will be
treated by a practitioner familiar with the patient's medical history;
  (c) post conspicuously the names and scheduled  office  hours  of  all
practitioners practicing in the facility;
  (d) maintain proper records which shall contain at least the following
information:
  (i) the full name, address and program number of each patient;
  (ii)  the  dates  of  all visits to all providers in the shared health
facility;
  (iii) the chief complaint for each  visit  to  each  provider  in  the
shared health facility;
  (iv)  pertinent history and all physical examinations rendered by each
provider in the shared health facility;
  (v) diagnostic impressions for each  visit  to  any  provider  in  the
shared health facility;
  (vi)  all  medications prescribed by any provider in the shared health
facility;
  (vii) the precise dosage and prescription regimens for each medication
prescribed by a provider in the shared health facility;
  (viii) all x-ray, laboratory work and  electrocardiograms  ordered  at
each  visit  by  any  provider  in the shared health facility, and their
results;
  (ix) all referrals by providers in the shared health facility to other
medical practitioners and the reason for such referrals; and
  (x) a statement as to whether or not the patient is expected to return
for further treatment and the dates of all return appointments;
  (e) assign an individual and clearly identified  practitioner  to  all
patients.    This assignment may be changed at any time at the patient's
discretion;
  (f) make available to registered patients either:
  (i) the central answering service telephone number of  each  patient's
designated  practitioner  or  such  practitioner's personally designated
colleagues, or
  (ii) a centralized twenty-four-hour-a-day, seven-day-weekly  telephone
line for off-hour emergency patient questions;
  (g) maintain a central day-book registry which shall record:
  (i) the name and program number of all patients entering the facility;
and
  (ii) the chief complaint and the names of all providers whose services
were  requested by the patient and/or to whom such patient was referred;
and
  (h) insure that the physical facilities of each shared health facility
shall provide for maximum privacy for all patients  during  examination,
interview and treatment;
  (i)  post  conspicuously the telephone number of the agency within the
department of health which  is  responsible  for  providing  information
concerning  shared  health  facilities  and/or  for receiving complaints
concerning the provision  of  health  care  services  at  shared  health
facilities.
  2.  It shall be the responsibility of each facility's administrator to
ensure  that  patient  records  and  summaries  of  all  patient  visits

including  diagnosis  and  pharmaceuticals  prescribed  are at all times
available at either the facility or at a place immediately accessible to
all health providers at the facility.
  3.  Nothing  in  this  article  shall  in  any  way  be interpreted as
infringing upon the patient's right to  free  selection  of  a  personal
practitioner.
  4.  The  department  shall  have  the  right  to  inspect the business
records, patient records, leases and other  contracts  executed  by  any
provider  in  a  shared health facility. Such inspections may be by site
visits to the facility.