Hawthorne Municipal Code Ch. 8.11 Quality Ratings for Skilled Nursing Facilities

California Health and Safety Code Section 1418.21, as it was in effect on January 1, 2011, requires skilled nursing facilities to post a five-star quality rating of its facility as determined by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). This rating is created to help consumers, their families and caregivers compare nursing homes more easily and help identify areas about which the consumer may want to ask questions. This five-star rating is required to be posted in at least three places in the facility to ensure it is visible to the public, to employees and to residents of the facility, and is required to be accompanied by specified information where additional data and information may be accessed.

(Ord. 1984 § 2, 2011)

The city of Hawthorne encourages compliance with the posting requirements for the five-star rating program. The city manager shall develop a program by which designated city employees are encouraged to periodically check skilled nursing facilities for their compliance with the star rating posting requirements of California Health and Safety Code

Section 1418.21 and to report any noncompliance to the State Department of Public Health and other appropriate authorities.

(Ord. 1984 § 2, 2011)

In the event that the State Program for posting of five-star ratings of skilled nursing facilities, as provided by California Health and Safety Code Section 1418.21, is repealed and not replaced with a comparable program, the city manager is authorized to prepare a replacement program to be developed and operated by the city to continue implementation of the star rating system for skilled nursing facilities in the city of Hawthorne and to bring any ordinances necessary to its implementation to the city council for consideration and adoption.

(Ord. 1984 § 2, 2011)