Virginia Law

A. The department shall notify the program or facility administrator of the date, time, and location the director or designee will take certification action relating to the program's or facility's certification audit. The program or facility administrator shall have the right to appear in person or by counsel or other qualified representative when the director or designee considers the audit report and makes a certification decision. The program or facility administrator shall be provided notice of the right to appear 10 business days prior to the director's or designee's consideration of the audit report and final certification determination.

B. A conditional certification for up to six months will be issued to a new program or a newly opened facility that:

1. Demonstrates 100% compliance with (i) all critical regulatory requirements and (ii) any physical plant regulatory requirements;

2. Demonstrates at least 90% compliance with all noncritical regulatory requirements and has an acceptable corrective action plan; and

3. Has no unresolved health, welfare, or safety violations.

C. Upon review of the audit findings and any acceptable corrective action plans, the director or designee shall take the following certification actions:

1. If the certification audit finds the program or facility in 100% compliance with all regulatory requirements, the director or designee shall certify the facility for three years.

2. If the certification audit finds the program or facility in less than 100% compliance with all regulatory requirements and a subsequent status report, completed prior to the certification action, finds 100% compliance on all regulatory requirements, the director or designee shall certify the facility for a specific period of time, up to three years.

3. If the certification audit finds the program or facility in less than 100% compliance with all critical regulatory requirements or less than 90% on all noncritical regulatory requirements or both, and a subsequent status report, completed prior to the certification action, finds 100% compliance on all critical regulatory requirements and 90% or greater compliance on all noncritical regulatory requirements, the program or facility shall be certified for a specified period of time, up to three years.

4. If the certification audit finds the program or facility in less than 100% compliance with all critical regulatory requirements or less than 90% on all noncritical regulatory requirements or both, and a subsequent status report, completed prior to the certification action, finds less than 100% compliance on all critical regulatory requirements or less than 90% compliance on all noncritical regulatory requirements or both, the program or facility shall be subject to the following actions:

a. If there is an acceptable corrective action plan and no conditions or practices exist in the program or facility that pose an immediate and substantial threat to the health, welfare, or safety of the residents, the program's or facility's certification shall be continued for a specified period of time up to one year with a status report completed for review prior to the extension of the certification period.

(1) If the status report results find the program or facility in 100% compliance on all critical regulatory requirements and 90% or greater compliance on all noncritical regulatory requirements, the program or facility shall be certified for a specified period of time, up to three years, retroactive to the date upon which the prior certification was scheduled to expire.

(2) If the status report results find that the program or facility continues to be at less than 100% compliance on the critical regulatory requirements or less than 90% compliance on all noncritical regulatory requirements, the program or facility shall be placed on probationary certification status for a specified period of time, up to one year.

b. If there is not an acceptable corrective action plan or there is a health, welfare, or safety violation or both, the program or facility shall be placed on probationary certification status for a specified period of time up to one year or decertified.

5. Whenever a program or facility is placed on probationary certification status, a status report shall be completed prior to the expiration of the probationary certification period.

a. If the status report results find the program or facility in 100% compliance on all critical regulatory requirements and 90% or greater compliance on all noncritical regulatory requirements, the program or facility shall be certified for a specified period of time, up to three years retroactive to the date upon which the prior certification was scheduled to expire.

b. If the status report results find the program or facility continues to be at less than 100% compliance on the critical regulatory requirements or less than 90% compliance on all noncritical regulatory requirements, the program or facility shall be decertified.

6. When a program or facility is placed on probationary certification status, (i) the director or designee shall, taking into account the program's or facility's history of compliance with regulatory requirements, specify the duration of the probationary certification status and (ii) the department and program or facility shall provide a status report to the board at all meetings for the duration of this status.

a. If the status report indicates no continued areas of noncompliance, the director or designee shall certify the facility for up to three years, subject to the provisions of subdivision 8 of this subsection.

b. If any area of noncompliance continues thereafter, the director or designee may (i) continue the probationary certification status, (ii) decertify the program or facility as provided for in 6VAC35-20-120, or (iii) take any other action provided for by law.

7. If the certification audit report indicates an immediate threat to the health, welfare, or safety to the residents of a facility, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the director or designee may decertify the program or facility as provided for in subsection D of this section and 6VAC35-20-120 or take any other action provided for by law.

8. If a program's or facility's certification status is continued after the initial period expires, the subsequent certification will be retroactive to the date of expiration, unless the director or designee specifically issues a certification with different terms.

D. Any program or facility, regardless of current certification status, may be decertified or denied certification when:

1. The program or facility has an unacceptable level of compliance, as provided in department procedures, with applicable regulatory requirements without acceptable corrective action plans to address deficiencies;

2. The program or facility, if on probation or administrative probation, has not corrected the circumstances that were cited in placing the program or facility on probation or administrative probation to the point that the program or facility would qualify for at least conditional certification;

3. The program's or facility's staff have knowingly (i) committed, permitted, aided or abetted any illegal act in the program or facility resulting in a criminal conviction; (ii) violated child abuse or neglect laws; (iii) deviated significantly from the program or services for which a certificate was issued without prior approval from the director or designee; (iv) failed to correct any such deviations within the time specified by the director or designee; or (v) falsified records, and the facility administrators knew or should have known and have failed (i) to report the actions and (ii) to take immediate remediating actions; or

4. If the program or facility fails to adequately correct the health, welfare, or safety violation per 6VAC35-20-36.1.

E. Certification decisions may be issued outside the requirements of subsections C and D of this section under the following circumstances:

1. The director may consider any aggravating and mitigating circumstances affecting the facts resulting in any finding of noncompliance, including, but not limited to, the history of the facility and the ability of the facility to predict and control the conditions resulting in the noncompliance. In such circumstances, the director may operate outside the requirements of subsection C of this section.

2. When considering whether to place a facility on probationary certification status or to decertify a program or facility due to a finding of noncompliance on a critical regulatory requirement, the director may consider whether the facility (i) had control over and knowledge of the circumstances, behaviors, or conditions leading to the finding and (ii) took appropriate steps to immediately rectify the situation. In such cases, the director may continue the certification in lieu of taking those actions.

F. Once the director or designee takes certification action, the department shall issue a certificate or letter clearly identifying the program or facility, the certification status, and the period of time during which the certification will be effective unless the certificate is revoked or surrendered sooner. The program or facility administrator shall be informed, briefly and generally, of the factual or procedural basis when any program or facility is issued a probationary certification or is decertified.

G. A program's or facility's status shall remain in effect until subsequent action by the director or designee.