By Healthcare Facilities Today

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) is now authorized to grant "deemed status" for licensure purposes to hospitals that have been accredited by national accreditation organizations, such as The Joint Commission, according to an article on the Montaq website.

In July 2013, Pennsylvania's Governor Corbett signed a law which amended the Health Care Facilities Act to require DOH to accept hospital surveys and inspections conducted by national accreditation organizations designated as acceptable in lieu of DOH's regular licensure renewal surveys. The law also extends the term of licensure from two years to three years for all Pennsylvania hospitals.

Described by DOH as a "historic rewrite" of Pennsylvania hospital licensure requirements, the law was championed to help eliminate the redundant nature of multiple and sometimes inconsistent licensing and accreditation surveys that Pennsylvania hospitals routinely undergo, the article said.

Most Pennsylvania hospitals complete voluntary accreditation inspections conducted by national accreditation organizations, in addition to the required licensing inspections conducted by DOH. The Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee predicted that the law would eliminate approximately 55 percent of regular licensure renewal surveys that DOH conducts annually, according to the article.

Read the article.