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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>59071</law_id><section_number>32.1-125.1</section_number><catch_line>Inspection of hospitals by state agencies generally</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>51.5-183</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="32.1">Health</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="5">Regulation of Medical Care Facilities and Services</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">Hospital and Nursing Home Licensure and Inspection</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this section unless the context requires a different meaning, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">hospital</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">hospital</span> as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="(Effective January 1, 2026) Definitions" href="/32.1-123/">32.1-123</a> or <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/37.2-100/">37.2-100</a>.
		State agencies shall make or cause to be made only such <span class="dictionary">inspections</span> of <span class="dictionary">hospitals</span> as are necessary to carry out the various obligations imposed on each agency by applicable state and federal <span class="dictionary">laws</span> and regulations. Any on-site <span class="dictionary">inspection</span> by a state agency or a division or unit thereof that substantially complies with the <span class="dictionary">inspection</span> requirements of any other state agency or any other division or unit of the inspecting agency charged with making similar <span class="dictionary">inspections</span> shall be accepted as an equivalent <span class="dictionary">inspection</span> in lieu of an on-site <span class="dictionary">inspection</span> by said agency or by a division or unit of the inspecting agency. A state agency shall coordinate its <span class="dictionary">hospital</span> <span class="dictionary">inspections</span> both internally and with those required by other state agencies so as to ensure that the requirements of this section are met. No <span class="dictionary">hospital</span> shall receive additional <span class="dictionary">inspections</span> until all other licensed <span class="dictionary">hospitals</span> in the Commonwealth have also been inspected, unless the additional <span class="dictionary">inspections</span> are (i) necessary to follow up on a preoperational <span class="dictionary">inspection</span> or one or more violations, (ii) required by a uniformly applied risk-based schedule established by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span>, (iii) necessary to investigate a complaint regarding the <span class="dictionary">hospital</span>, or (iv) otherwise deemed necessary by the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> or his designee to protect the health and safety of the public.
		Notwithstanding any provision of <span class="dictionary">law</span> to the contrary, all <span class="dictionary">hospitals</span> licensed by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Health or <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services that have been certified under the provisions of Title XVIII of the Social Security Act for <span class="dictionary">hospital</span> or psychiatric services or that have obtained accreditation from a national accrediting organization granted authority by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to ensure compliance with Medicare conditions of participation pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;1865 of Title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. &#xA7;&#xA0;1395bb) may be subject to <span class="dictionary">inspections</span> so long as such certification or accreditation is maintained but only to the extent necessary to ensure the public health and safety.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 32-300.1; 1979, c. 220; 1989, c. 618; 2009, cc. 813, 840; 2014, c. 320; 2017, c. 465.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
