Virginia Law

A. The governing body shall appoint as administrator an individual who has evidence of at least one year of training and experience in direct health care service delivery with at least one year, within the last five years, of supervisory or administration management experience in hospice care or a related health care delivery system.

B. The administrator shall have operational knowledge of Virginia's hospice laws and regulations and the interrelationship between state licensure and other applicable state laws and regulations as well as national certification or accrediting organizations such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and The Joint Commission (formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations).

C. The administrator shall be responsible for the day-to-day management of the hospice program, including but not limited to:

1. Organizing and supervising the administrative functions of the hospice program;

2. Maintaining an ongoing liaison with the governing body, the professional personnel and staff;

3. Employing qualified personnel and ensuring adequate employee orientation, training, education and evaluation;

4. Ensuring the accuracy of public information materials and activities;

5. Implementing an effective budgeting and accounting system;

6. Maintaining compliance with applicable laws and regulations and implementing corrective action in response to reports of hospice program committees and regulatory agencies;

7. Arranging and negotiating services provided through contractual agreement; and

8. Implementing the policies and procedures approved by the governing body.

D. The individual designated to perform the duties of the administrator when the administrator is absent from the hospice program shall be able to perform those duties of the administrator as identified in subsection C of this section.

E. The administrator or alternate shall be available at all times during operating hours and for emergency situations.