CDC HEALTH ADVISORY - OUTBREAK OF BOTULISM ASSOCIATED WITH CANNED CHILI, JULY 2007 (pdf)
Health Licensing has the ultimate goal of ensuring that individuals receiving care and services from health care activities licensed by the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), are provided appropriate care and services in a manner and, in an environment that promotes their health, safety, and well-being. Supporting goals of the Division include:
- Promulgating standards regarding the establishing and maintaining of activities to best assure that the Division’s ultimate goal will be attained;
- Evaluating licensed and proposed activities through inspection and investigation based upon these established standards;
- Requiring activities to meet the established standards.
The Division offers assistance to activities in meeting the standards through consultation or, when necessary, takes enforcement actions when activities are unable or unwilling to meet the standards.
The Division has 42 employees and is organized into six program areas:
The Community Care Oversight Program regulates Community Residential Care Facilities (CRCF) and Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded (ICFMR) programs. Their duties and responsibilities are to inspect and investigate health care activities, provide consultations as needed, and recommend enforcement actions as deemed appropriate. The Community Care Oversight Program is divided into two regional areas (pdf).
The Health Facility Oversight Program is divided into the Medical Management Office and The Facilities and Services Office. Their duties and responsibilities are to inspect and investigate health care activities, provide consultations as needed, and recommend enforcement actions as deemed appropriate.
- The Medical Management Office manages Birthing Centers, Hospitals, Midwife & Midwife Apprentices, Nursing Homes, Perinatal Oversight, Renal Dialysis Facilities, Residential Treatment Facilities for Children and Adolescents, and inpatient Chiropractic facilities.
- The Facilities and Services Office manages Abortion Clinics, Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Body Piercing Facility (Permitted, not licensed), Day Care Facilities for Adults, inpatient and outpatient Treatment Facilities that Treat Individuals for Psychoactive Substance Abuse or Dependence, Hearing Aid Specialists, Home Health Agencies, inpatient and outpatient Hospice Facilities, Freestanding or Mobile Technology and Tattoo facilities.
The Customer Service Program monitors national and state trends and the health status in health care activities to identify, investigate, and analyze (community) problems and potential issues. This function includes intake, review and processing of incident reports and complaints, intake and compilation of customer service data, and disaster preparedness. The Customer Service Program also determines standards to measure external and internal effectiveness and efficiency, to include the measurement of Division performance. One of its tasks is to ensure that Division staff members are offered appropriate training opportunities to enhance their job skills.
The Operations Support and Assurance Program provides the administrative and logistical support and resources required for the Division’s effective and efficient operations. The Operations Support Program is responsible for processing licenses, collecting fees, managing and safeguarding records, acts as the channeling agent for FBI fingerprint cards, and processing freedom of information requests. The Assurance component ensures that established regulatory standards of health care activities are implemented appropriately. This includes focused consultations/enforcement conferences and enforcement actions (including restriction of admissions, revocation, denial of license, and monetary penalties), only after it has been determined that preliminary efforts (inspections, consultations, investigations) have not achieved the desired results.
The Policy Development Program develops policies, procedures, and plans that support the efforts of DHEC and the Division. It includes promulgating and reviewing all regulations and keeping the Division apprised of any legislative actions which may impact the Division. It also includes processing of requests for exceptions to the standards.
The Fire and Life Safety (FLS) Program has regulatory responsibility to ensure compliance with state fire safety regulations. This is accomplished through the inspection of facilities and activities by FLS inspectors in the field, through consultations regarding the code, and by the plan review process.
- The FLS Program provides established practices and procedures to:
- enforce fire and life safety regulations and standards as contained in the South Carolina Code of Laws, Departmental regulations, and Division policies;
- inspect facilities and activities for fire and life safety conditions; and
- review building design and modification plans for fire and life safety compliance;
- Unannounced inspections are performed on a periodic basis and include fire door operations, chemical container labeling, personal safety, and equipment accessibility. Investigations are conducted after a fire at a licensed facility or activity, life safety accidents or significant life safety incidents in a licensed facility or activity.
- Where inspections identify potential fire and life safety threats, actions are taken to ensure the correction of the hazardous conditions as quickly as possible.
Division Director: Dennis Gibbs (803) 545-4370