Notwithstanding any other provision of law, two or more primary care clinics that are operated by a single nonprofit corporation shall be entitled to consolidate their administrative functions within the State of California without first obtaining the approval of the department. The department shall have access to offsite records. Upon request for access by the department, offsite records shall either be transferred to a clinic or administrative site or be available at the offsite facility within 48 hours. The administrative functions are limited to the following:

(a)  Offsite storage and maintenance of patient medical records that have been inactive for at least three years.

Terms Used In California Health and Safety Code 1218.2

  • clinic: means an organized outpatient health facility that provides direct medical, surgical, dental, optometric, or podiatric advice, services, or treatment to patients who remain less than 24 hours, and that may also provide diagnostic or therapeutic services to patients in the home as an incident to care provided at the clinic facility. See California Health and Safety Code 1200
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Department: means the Licensing and Certification Division of the State Department of Public Health, or its successor. See California Health and Safety Code 1200
  • Primary care clinics: means all the types of clinics specified in subdivision (a) of Section 1204, including community clinics and free clinics. See California Health and Safety Code 1200
  • State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Health and Safety Code 23

(b)  Offsite storage and maintenance of personnel records, except that copies of specific records documenting the employees’ date of hire, general qualifications, proof of current licensure if applicable, training, and annual health checks shall be kept at the site at which the employee provides all or a majority of his or her services.

(c)  Billing and related financial functions.

(d)  Purchasing functions.

(Added by Stats. 2003, Ch. 602, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2004.)

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