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Florida Statute 395.002 - Full Text and Legal Analysis
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The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XXIX
PUBLIC HEALTH
Chapter 395
HOSPITAL LICENSING AND REGULATION
View Entire Chapter
F.S. 395.002
395.002 Definitions.As used in this chapter:
(1) “Accrediting organizations” means national accreditation organizations that are approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and whose standards incorporate comparable licensure regulations required by the state.
(2) “Agency” means the Agency for Health Care Administration.
(3) “Ambulatory surgical center” means a facility, the primary purpose of which is to provide elective surgical care, in which the patient is admitted to and discharged from such facility within 24 hours, and which is not part of a hospital. However, a facility existing for the primary purpose of performing terminations of pregnancy, an office maintained by a physician for the practice of medicine, or an office maintained for the practice of dentistry may not be construed to be an ambulatory surgical center, provided that any facility or office which is certified or seeks certification as a Medicare ambulatory surgical center shall be licensed as an ambulatory surgical center pursuant to s. 395.003.
(4) “Biomedical waste” means any solid or liquid waste as defined in s. 381.0098(2)(a).
(5) “Clinical privileges” means the privileges granted to a physician or other licensed health care practitioner to render patient care services in a hospital, but does not include the privilege of admitting patients.
(6) “Department” means the Department of Health.
(7) “Director” means any member of the official board of directors as reported in the organization’s annual corporate report to the Florida Department of State, or, if no such report is made, any member of the operating board of directors. The term excludes members of separate, restricted boards that serve only in an advisory capacity to the operating board.
(8) “Emergency medical condition” means:
(a) A medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity, which may include severe pain, such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in any of the following:
1. Serious jeopardy to patient health, including a pregnant woman or fetus.
2. Serious impairment to bodily functions.
3. Serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part.
(b) With respect to a pregnant woman:
1. That there is inadequate time to effect safe transfer to another hospital prior to delivery;
2. That a transfer may pose a threat to the health and safety of the patient or fetus; or
3. That there is evidence of the onset and persistence of uterine contractions or rupture of the membranes.
(9) “Emergency services and care” means medical screening, examination, and evaluation by a physician, or, to the extent permitted by applicable law, by other appropriate personnel under the supervision of a physician, to determine if an emergency medical condition exists and, if it does, the care, treatment, or surgery by a physician necessary to relieve or eliminate the emergency medical condition, within the service capability of the facility.
(10) “General hospital” means any facility which meets the provisions of subsection (12) and which regularly makes its facilities and services available to the general population.
(11) “Governmental unit” means the state or any county, municipality, or other political subdivision, or any department, division, board, or other agency of any of the foregoing.
(12) “Hospital” means any establishment that:
(a) Offers services more intensive than those required for room, board, personal services, and general nursing care, and offers facilities and beds for use beyond 24 hours by individuals requiring diagnosis, treatment, or care for illness, injury, deformity, infirmity, abnormality, disease, or pregnancy; and
(b) Regularly makes available at least clinical laboratory services, diagnostic X-ray services, and treatment facilities for surgery or obstetrical care, or other definitive medical treatment of similar extent, except that a critical access hospital, as defined in s. 408.07, shall not be required to make available treatment facilities for surgery, obstetrical care, or similar services as long as it maintains its critical access hospital designation and shall be required to make such facilities available only if it ceases to be designated as a critical access hospital.

However, the provisions of this chapter do not apply to any institution conducted by or for the adherents of any well-recognized church or religious denomination that depends exclusively upon prayer or spiritual means to heal, care for, or treat any person. For purposes of local zoning matters, the term “hospital” includes a medical office building located on the same premises as a hospital facility, provided the land on which the medical office building is constructed is zoned for use as a hospital; provided the premises were zoned for hospital purposes on January 1, 1992.

(13) “Hospital-based off-campus emergency department” means a facility that:
(a) Provides emergency services and care;
(b) Is owned and operated by a licensed hospital and operates under the license of the hospital; and
(c) Is located on separate premises from the hospital.
(14) “Hospital bed” means a hospital accommodation which is ready for immediate occupancy, or is capable of being made ready for occupancy within 48 hours, excluding provision of staffing, and which conforms to minimum space, equipment, and furnishings standards as specified by rule of the agency for the provision of services specified in this section to a single patient.
(15) “Initial denial determination” means a determination by a private review agent that the health care services furnished or proposed to be furnished to a patient are inappropriate, not medically necessary, or not reasonable.
(16) “Intensive residential treatment programs for children and adolescents” means a specialty hospital accredited by an accrediting organization as defined in subsection (1) which provides 24-hour care and which has the primary functions of diagnosis and treatment of patients under the age of 18 having psychiatric disorders in order to restore such patients to an optimal level of functioning.
(17) “Licensed facility” means a hospital or ambulatory surgical center licensed in accordance with this chapter.
(18) “Lifesafety” means the control and prevention of fire and other life-threatening conditions on a premises for the purpose of preserving human life.
(19) “Managing employee” means the administrator or other similarly titled individual who is responsible for the daily operation of the facility.
(20) “Medical staff” means physicians licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459 with privileges in a licensed facility, as well as other licensed health care practitioners with clinical privileges as approved by a licensed facility’s governing board.
(21) “Medically necessary transfer” means a transfer made necessary because the patient is in immediate need of treatment for an emergency medical condition for which the facility lacks service capability or is at service capacity.
(22) “Person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or governmental unit.
(23) “Premises” means those buildings, beds, and equipment located at the address of the licensed facility and all other buildings, beds, and equipment for the provision of hospital or ambulatory surgical care located in such reasonable proximity to the address of the licensed facility as to appear to the public to be under the dominion and control of the licensee. For any licensee that is a teaching hospital as defined in s. 408.07, reasonable proximity includes any buildings, beds, services, programs, and equipment under the dominion and control of the licensee that are located at a site with a main address that is within 1 mile of the main address of the licensed facility; and all such buildings, beds, and equipment may, at the request of a licensee or applicant, be included on the facility license as a single premises.
(24) “Private review agent” means any person or entity which performs utilization review services for third-party payors on a contractual basis for outpatient or inpatient services. However, the term shall not include full-time employees, personnel, or staff of health insurers, health maintenance organizations, or hospitals, or wholly owned subsidiaries thereof or affiliates under common ownership, when performing utilization review for their respective hospitals, health maintenance organizations, or insureds of the same insurance group. For this purpose, health insurers, health maintenance organizations, and hospitals, or wholly owned subsidiaries thereof or affiliates under common ownership, include such entities engaged as administrators of self-insurance as defined in s. 624.031.
(25) “Service capability” means all services offered by the facility where identification of services offered is evidenced by the appearance of the service in a patient’s medical record or itemized bill.
(26) “At service capacity” means the temporary inability of a hospital to provide a service which is within the service capability of the hospital, due to maximum use of the service at the time of the request for the service.
(27) “Specialty bed” means a bed, other than a general bed, designated on the face of the hospital license for a dedicated use.
(28) “Specialty hospital” means any facility which meets the provisions of subsection (12), and which regularly makes available either:
(a) The range of medical services offered by general hospitals but restricted to a defined age or gender group of the population;
(b) A restricted range of services appropriate to the diagnosis, care, and treatment of patients with specific categories of medical or psychiatric illnesses or disorders; or
(c) Intensive residential treatment programs for children and adolescents as defined in subsection (16).
(29) “Stabilized” means, with respect to an emergency medical condition, that no material deterioration of the condition is likely, within reasonable medical probability, to result from the transfer of the patient from a hospital.
(30) “Urgent care center” means a facility or clinic that provides immediate but not emergent ambulatory medical care to patients. The term includes:
(a) An offsite facility of a facility licensed under this chapter, or a joint venture between a facility licensed under this chapter and a provider licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459, that does not require a patient to make an appointment and is presented to the general public in any manner as a facility where immediate but not emergent medical care is provided.
(b) A clinic organization that is licensed under part X of chapter 400, maintains three or more locations using the same or a similar name, does not require a patient to make an appointment, and holds itself out to the general public in any manner as a facility or clinic where immediate but not emergent medical care is provided.
(31) “Utilization review” means a system for reviewing the medical necessity or appropriateness in the allocation of health care resources of hospital services given or proposed to be given to a patient or group of patients.
(32) “Utilization review plan” means a description of the policies and procedures governing utilization review activities performed by a private review agent.
(33) “Validation inspection” means an inspection of the premises of a licensed facility by the agency to assess whether a review by an accrediting organization has adequately evaluated the licensed facility according to minimum state standards.
History.ss. 1, 4, ch. 82-125; ss. 26, 30, ch. 82-182; s. 33, ch. 87-92; s. 52, ch. 88-130; s. 4, ch. 89-527; s. 12, ch. 90-295; ss. 3, 98, ch. 92-289; s. 724, ch. 95-148; s. 23, ch. 98-89; s. 37, ch. 98-171; s. 2, ch. 98-303; s. 102, ch. 99-8; s. 206, ch. 99-13; s. 4, ch. 2002-400; s. 1, ch. 2005-81; s. 37, ch. 2007-230; s. 2, ch. 2011-122; s. 4, ch. 2012-66; s. 1, ch. 2012-160; s. 24, ch. 2018-24; s. 6, ch. 2019-138; s. 1, ch. 2021-112; s. 38, ch. 2022-4.

F.S. 395.002 on Google Scholar

F.S. 395.002 on CourtListener

Amendments to 395.002


Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 395.002

Total Results: 38

Carmichael v. Kellogg, Brown & Root Services, Inc.

572 F.3d 1271, 2009 U.S. App. LEXIS 14237, 2009 WL 1856537

Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | Filed: Jun 30, 2009 | Docket: 399409

Cited 275 times | Published

all responsibility for performing work.” FMCSR § 395.2 (emphasis added). Thus, in requiring Irvine to

Turner Ex Rel. Turner v. United States

514 F.3d 1194, 2008 U.S. App. LEXIS 1782, 2008 WL 215210

Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | Filed: Jan 28, 2008 | Docket: 1403258

Cited 73 times | Published

select group of patients. We disagree. Under § 395.002(28) of the Florida Code, a "[s]pecialty hospital"

Jean Resnick v. AvMed, Inc.

693 F.3d 1317, 2012 WL 3833035, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 18680

Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | Filed: Sep 5, 2012 | Docket: 147645

Cited 57 times | Published

only applies to licensed facilities defined in § 395.002(16) and not to pharmacies). Section 395.3025 does

Florida Hosp. v. AHCA

823 So. 2d 844

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 20, 2002 | Docket: 287402

Cited 24 times | Published

to the patient's diagnosis or medical needs. § 395.002(2), Fla. Stat. (1997) (emphasis added). The term

Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Ass'n v. Department of Administrative Hearings

29 So. 3d 992, 35 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 40, 2010 Fla. LEXIS 43, 2010 WL 114510

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Jan 14, 2010 | Docket: 1642779

Cited 19 times | Published

Although NICA does not define the term "staff," section 395.002(19), Florida Statutes (1997), the chapter relating

In Re Jury Instructions in Crim. Cases

911 So. 2d 766, 2005 WL 2095664

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Sep 1, 2005 | Docket: 1751810

Cited 18 times | Published

service and care or to treat medical emergencies. § 395.002(10), Fla. Stat. "Emergency service and care" means

Spurgeon v. State

114 So. 3d 1042, 2013 WL 2359485, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 8593

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: May 31, 2013 | Docket: 60231720

Cited 8 times | Published

employee or agent of a hospital as defined in section 395.002(12), who was employed, under contract, or otherwise

State v. Tamulonis

39 So. 3d 524, 2010 Fla. App. LEXIS 10025, 2010 WL 2696288

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jul 9, 2010 | Docket: 1933898

Cited 7 times | Published

center[s], or mobile surgical facilit[ies]." § 395.002(16). Pharmacists are licensed and regulated under

In Re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases-No. 2007-11

986 So. 2d 563, 33 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 554, 2008 Fla. LEXIS 1237, 2008 WL 2679168

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Jul 10, 2008 | Docket: 1727850

Cited 7 times | Published

service and care or to treat medical emergencies. § 395.002(10), Fla. Stat. "Emergency service and care" means

University of Miami v. Ruiz

916 So. 2d 865, 2005 WL 2862055

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Nov 2, 2005 | Docket: 1659599

Cited 6 times | Published

emergency medical *869 condition defined in [section 395.002(9)(b), Florida Statutes, 1998] or when notice

In re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases—Report No. 2012-01

109 So. 3d 721, 2013 WL 535407

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Feb 14, 2013 | Docket: 60229786

Cited 5 times | Published

service and care or to treat medical emergencies. § 395.002(10), Fla. Stat. *732“Emergency service and care”

In Re Jury Inst. in Cr. Cases (No. 2004-1)

915 So. 2d 609, 2005 WL 3072036

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Nov 17, 2005 | Docket: 1311010

Cited 5 times | Published

service and care or to treat medical emergencies. § 395.002(10), Fla. Stat. "Emergency service and care" means

O'Shea v. Phillips

746 So. 2d 1105, 1999 WL 741115

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Nov 24, 1999 | Docket: 1714974

Cited 5 times | Published

an "[a]dverse or untoward incident" under section 395.002(2)(c), Florida Statutes (1993). The 1995 amendments

Valcin v. Public Health Trust of Dade County

473 So. 2d 1297

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 20, 1985 | Docket: 1304742

Cited 5 times | Published

"promote safe and adequate treatment" of patients. § 395.02, Fla. Stat. (1981) (repealed effective July 1

University Hosp. v. AHCA

697 So. 2d 909, 1997 WL 402107

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jul 21, 1997 | Docket: 1776752

Cited 4 times | Published

section 395.003(2)(d). "Premises" is defined in section 395.002(22), Florida Statutes (1995), as those buildings

Palm Partners, LLC v. City of Oakland Park

102 F. Supp. 3d 1334, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 56928, 2015 WL 1968799

District Court, S.D. Florida | Filed: Apr 30, 2015 | Docket: 64301831

Cited 3 times | Published

defined in the Florida Statutes. See Fla., Stat. § 395.002(12). Auid even if it were not, it is a basic principle

Cespedes v. Yellow Transportation, Inc.

130 So. 3d 243, 2013 WL 6171266, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 19015

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Nov 26, 2013 | Docket: 60237694

Cited 3 times | Published

and care” is defined, by its reference to section 395.002, Florida Statutes (2005), as follows: (10)

Hendley v. State

58 So. 3d 296, 2011 WL 561407

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Feb 18, 2011 | Docket: 60299302

Cited 3 times | Published

not consider that issue in this opinion. . § 395.002(16).

Weeks v. BIRTH-RELATED NEUROLOGICAL

977 So. 2d 616, 2008 WL 268704

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jan 31, 2008 | Docket: 1529941

Cited 3 times | Published

referenced in section 766.316 and defined by section 395.002(9)(b), Florida Statutes (2002). In fact, the

Fed. Prop. Mgmt. v. Dept. of Health

482 So. 2d 475

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jan 20, 1986 | Docket: 1769582

Cited 3 times | Published

token, a specialty hospital is defined in Section 395.002(14), Florida Statutes (1983), as a facility

State v. Bean

36 So. 3d 116, 2010 Fla. App. LEXIS 410, 2010 WL 199299

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jan 22, 2010 | Docket: 2409839

Cited 2 times | Published

surgical center, or mobile surgical facility." § 395.002(17). Finally, Mr. Bean's motion did not expressly

Tabraue III v. Doctors Hospital

272 So. 3d 468

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Mar 27, 2019 | Docket: 14809052

Cited 1 times | Published

of the hospital. Id. at 3. Wax argued that section 395.002(13)(b) (subsequently re- numbered) defines

State v. Shukitis

60 So. 3d 406, 2010 Fla. App. LEXIS 16735, 2010 WL 4365761

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Nov 5, 2010 | Docket: 60300199

Cited 1 times | Published

center[s], or mobile surgical facilities]’ ” in section 395.002(16). See State v. Tamulonis, 39 So.3d 524,

Tarpon Springs Hospital Foundation, Inc. v. Reth

40 So. 3d 823, 2010 Fla. App. LEXIS 10023, 2010 WL 2696290

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jul 9, 2010 | Docket: 1219513

Cited 1 times | Published

addresses hospital licensing and regulation. Section 395.002(13)(b) defines a hospital as an establishment

Wax v. Tenet Health System Hospitals, Inc.

955 So. 2d 1, 2006 WL 1329698

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Mar 7, 2007 | Docket: 1659239

Cited 1 times | Published

available "treatment facilities for surgery." § 395.002(13)(b), Fla. Stat. (2005). A related statute requires

In Re: Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases - Report 2019-09

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Jan 16, 2020 | Docket: 16761638

Published

care or to treat medical emergencies. § 395.002(9), Fla. Stat. “Emergency services and care”

In Re: Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases - Report 2019-09

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Jan 16, 2020 | Docket: 16761638

Published

care or to treat medical emergencies. § 395.002(9), Fla. Stat. “Emergency services and care”

In Re: Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases-Report 2018-02.

256 So. 3d 1316

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Oct 25, 2018 | Docket: 8081302

Published

care or to treat medical emergencies. § 395.002( 10 9 ), Fla. Stat

Beverly Mathis v. Broward County School Board and The School etc.

224 So. 3d 852, 2017 WL 3469413, 2017 Fla. App. LEXIS 11635

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 14, 2017 | Docket: 6144163

Published

3d 243, 252 (Fla. 1st DCA 2013) (relying on section 395.002, Florida Statutes (2005), which defines “emergency

In Re STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTIONS IN CRIMINAL CASES-REPORT NO. 2015-04

190 So. 3d 614, 2016 WL 1460587

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Apr 14, 2016 | Docket: 3053709

Published

care or to treat medical emergencies. § 395.002(10), Fla. Stat. “Emergency service and

Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando v. MMB Properties

171 So. 3d 125, 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 7717, 2015 WL 2414382

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: May 22, 2015 | Docket: 60249662

Published

definition of “ambulatory surgical center,” in section 395.002(3), Florida Statutes (2013), which is defined

Jean Resnick v. AvMed, Inc.

Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | Filed: Sep 5, 2012 | Docket: 878165

Published

only applies to licensed facilities defined in § 395.002(16) and not to pharmacies). Section 395.3025

University of Florida Board of Trustees v. Stone

92 So. 3d 264, 2012 WL 2345115, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 10000

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jun 21, 2012 | Docket: 60310180

Published

“emergency services and care” is broadly defined in section 395.002(10), Florida Statutes (2004), to encompass

Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases-Submission 2002-1

850 So. 2d 1272, 28 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 572, 2003 Fla. LEXIS 1146, 2003 WL 21511321

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Jul 3, 2003 | Docket: 64824176

Published

service and care or to treat medical emergencies. § 395.002(10), Fla. Stat. “Emergency service and care”

Florida Hospital v. State Agency for Health Care Administration

823 So. 2d 844, 2002 Fla. App. LEXIS 11906, 2002 WL 1899903

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 20, 2002 | Docket: 64816872

Published

to the patient’s diagnosis or medical needs. § 395.002(2), Fla. Stat. (1997) (emphasis added). The term

Ago

Florida Attorney General Reports | Filed: Feb 6, 1995 | Docket: 3256086

Published

maintenance organizations. 6 Section 395.002(17), Fla. Stat. (1993). 7 Section 395.002(12), Fla. Stat. (1993)

Ago

Florida Attorney General Reports | Filed: Dec 13, 1993 | Docket: 3258220

Published

membership and clinical privileges in hospitals." 3 Section 395.002(17), F.S. And see, AGO 73-274 stating that

In re Senior Care Properties, Inc.

161 B.R. 294, 7 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. B 303, 1993 Bankr. LEXIS 1803, 1993 WL 499375

United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Florida | Filed: Nov 24, 1993 | Docket: 65780693

Published

include nursing home facilities. See, Fla.Stat.Ann. § 395.002(12) (West 1993). Even if we were to agree with