DHHS Internet Website - Public Health

Health Clinics

Diana Meyer - Program Manager

Acute Care Facilities Section

A facility where advice, counseling, diagnosis, treatment, surgery, care, or services relating to the preservation or maintenance of health are provided on an outpatient basis for a period of less than twenty-four consecutive hours to persons not residing or confined at such facility.

Health clinic includes, but is not limited to:

• A facility that performs ten or more abortions as defined in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-326  during any one calendar week;
• A facility that provides hemodialysis services and is not licensed as another type of health care facility; or
• A facility that provides labor and delivery services and is not licensed as another type of health care facility.
• Public Health Clinic

A department, and county, city county, or multicounty health department, or any private not for profit family planning clinic licensed as a health clinic.

• Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) - a facility:

1. Where surgical services are provided to persons not requiring hospitalization who are admitted to and discharged from such facility within the same working day and are not permitted to stay overnight at such facility
2. Which meets all applicable requirements for licensure as a health clinic under the Health Care Facility Licensure Act, and

3. Which has qualified for a written agreement with the Health Care Financing Administration of the United States Department of Health and Human Services or its successor to participate in Medicare as an ambulatory surgical center as defined in 42 CFR 416 et seq. or which receives other third party reimbursement for such services.

Ambulatory surgical center does not include an office or clinic used solely by a practitioner or group of practitioners in the practice of medicine, dentistry, or podiatry.

Health Clinic does not include:

1. A facility that provides only routine health screenings, health education or immunizations.
2. A health care practitioner facility unless:
   1. Such facility is an ambulatory surgical center;
   2. Ten or more abortions as defined in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-326 are performed during any one calendar week;
   3. Hemodialysis services are provided and the facility is not licensed as another type of health care facility; or
   4. Labor and delivery services are provided and the facility is not licensed as another type of health care facility.

Licensure means: The Department has issued a license to operate a facility in the State of Nebraska to an individual, government, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or other form of business operation that is legally responsible for the facility's operation.

Certification means: The facility is in compliance with the federal requirements and is eligible to receive payment under the Medicare and/or Medicaid programs.