A licensed health clinic is a facility where advice, counseling, diagnosis, treatment, surgery, or services relating to the preservation or maintenance of health are provided on an outpatient basis for a period of less than 24 consecutive hours to persons not residing or confined at the facility. A healthcare practitioner facility (a clinic, office or residence of a practitioner or group of practitioners credentialed under the Uniform Credentialing Act) is not required to be a licensed health clinic.
In Nebraska, a health clinic license is required for:
- A facility that performs 10 or more abortions during any one calendar week
- A facility that provides hemodialysis services (and is not licensed as any other type of healthcare facility)
- A public health clinic; OR
- An ambulatory surgical center.
In Nebraska, you are not required to have a health clinic license for:
- A facility that provides only routine health screenings, health education or immunizations; OR
- A healthcare practitioner facility unless that facility:
- Is an ambulatory surgical center;
- Performs 10 or more abortions during any one calendar week;
- Provides hemodialysis services; OR
- Provides labor and delivery services (and the facility is not licensed as any other type of healthcare facility).
NOTE: A federally certified Rural Health Clinic is not required to be licensed as a health clinic in Nebraska.
Health Clinic Applications, Requirements & Fees
FAQs
Each ambulatory surgical center is limited to performing surgical and other medical procedures that can be safely performed in a dedicated operating room or suite and which may require a postoperative recovery room for convalescent stay. An ambulatory surgical center can only provide surgical services to persons who are admitted to and discharged from the ambulatory surgery center within the same working day and must not retain patients past midnight of the day of admission.
Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) have mandatory reporting requirements per the Health Care Facility Licensure Act:
Overview of the Outpatient Surgical Procedures Data Act
A facility must notify the Department in writing of the following changes:
- A change in ownership of the facility (within 10 working days)
- A change in location of the facility (within 10 working days)
- A change in the facility name (within 10 working days)
- A change in the facility Administrator (within five working days); and/or
- New construction or remodeling (prior to the start of construction)
- Addition or deletion of offsite practice locations (30 days prior)
- Addition or deletion of specific types of services 30 days prior)
Please submit your written notifications on facility letterhead/signed by a facility officer to:
DHHS Public Health – Licensure Unit
Acute Care Facilities Office
PO Box 94669
Lincoln, NE 68508-4669
OR you can submit the signed letter via email to: DHHS.acutecarefacilities@nebraska.gov
The Department conducts onsite inspections of health clinics in accordance with 175 NAC 7 Regulations Governing the Licensure of Health Clinics and in accordance with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) mandates (for CMS certified facilities).
Per 175 NAC 7, the Department may conduct an onsite inspection of the facility at any of the following times:
- Prior to issuing an initial license
- Prior to use and occupancy at new facilities or where there's been new construction
- At any time to determine compliance with the health clinic licensure regulations or for any of the following reasons:
- An occurrence resulting in patient death or serious physical harm
- An occurrence resulting in imminent danger to or the possibility of death or serious physical harm to patients
- An accident or natural disaster resulting in damage to the facility that would have a direct or immediate adverse effect on the health, safety, and security of patients
- The passage of five years without an onsite inspection
- A complaint alleging violation of the Health Care Facility Licensure Act or 175 NAC 7
- Complaints that raise concerns about the maintenance, operation, or management of the health clinic
- Financial instability of the licensee or of the licensee's parent company
- Outbreaks or recurrent incidents of physical health problems such as dehydration, pressure sores, or other illnesses
- Change of services, management, or ownership
- Change of status of accreditation or certification on which licensure is based as provided in 175 NAC 7-004.08; or
- Any other event that raises concerns about the maintenance, operation, or management of the health clinic
Medicare/Medicaid Certification
For health clinics that are Ambulatory Surgical Centers: CMS.gov - Ambulatory Surgical Centers
For health clinics that are providing hemodialysis services: CMS.gov - Dialysis