Iowa Administrative Bulletin Review for May 15, 2024
IHCA continues to track issues of importance to members, including the subjects mentioned in the Iowa Administrative Bulletin that is released every two weeks. Here are the bi-weekly areas of note found in the May 15, 2024, issue of the Iowa Administrative Bulletin. If and when issues arise, IHCA will take appropriate steps in an effort to remediate problems for members.
Adopted and Filed Rules
7973C — Professional Licensure Division | Discipline for Nursing Home Administrators
This rule-making provides protection to Iowans because it publicly defines disciplinary options when a nursing home administrator fails to provide the standard of care. The standard of care is important to both the public and the licensee because it creates a shared understanding of what is and is not appropriate for certain types of licensed individuals in the state of Iowa. When professional standards are not met, it can subject a licensee to discipline against the licensee’s license. Iowans have the ability to submit a complaint to the licensing board, which can then investigate the allegation. The board has the ability to seek discipline against the licensee for those items outlined, ensuring that the public is protected.
The 19 boards in the legacy Health and Human Services Bureau of Professional Licensure have similar disciplinary standards for all professions. For this reason, one shared disciplinary chapter has been created that applies to all professions. This chapter contains only those disciplinary grounds that are unique to the nursing home administrator profession and are therefore excluded from the general disciplinary chapter. The grounds for discipline required in this rule-making are related to falsification of facts contained in application documents or misappropriation of resident funds and are required by Iowa Code chapter 155.
7972C — Professional Licensure Division | Continuing Education for Nursing Home Administrators
These rules set forth continuing education requirements for nursing home administrators. The rules include definitions related to continuing education, the required number of hours of continuing education that licensees are required to obtain, the standards that licensees need to meet in order to comply with the rules and the types of continuing education courses that are permissible. The intended benefit of continuing education is to ensure that nursing home administrators maintain up-to-date practice standards and, as a result, provide high-quality services to Iowans.
7971C — Professional Licensure Division | Licensure of Nursing Home Administrators
These rules set minimum standards for entry into the nursing home administrator profession. Iowa residents, licensees and licensees’ employers benefit from the rules because the rules articulate the processes by which an individual apply for licensure as a nursing home administrator in the state of Iowa, as directed in statute. This includes the processes for initial licensure, renewal and reinstatement. These requirements ensure public safety by ensuring that any individual entering the profession has minimum competency. Requirements include the application process, minimum educational qualifications and examination requirements.