Section 325.21603. Specialized physician services.

A special mental illness nursing home or nursing  facility shall have on its staff a physician who is a specialist in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of the mentally ill. The physician specialist, in accordance with written policy of the facility, shall comply with all of the following provisions:

(a)   Have special training and experience in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of the mentally ill.

(b)   Serve as a consultant to the administrator of the facility in planning and implementing a continuing program designed  to  meet  the special needs of patients in the facility.

(c)   Serve as consultant to other physicians attending  patients  in  the facility.

(d)   Care for mentally ill patients, as may be appropriate, at the request of the patient or his or her guardian, the patient's attending physician, and the facility.

(e)   Assist the facility in the development of, and approve written patient care policies for, the diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients in the facility.

(f)   Assist the facility in the writing of individual patient care plans and approve such plans.

(g)   Assure that patients are seen and evaluated  by   the  attending physician not less than every 30 days and more often as may be required to adequately care for patients.

History: 1981 AACS.