Section 210. Personnel practices

A. Personnel management and employment practices shall comply with applicable state and federal laws and regulations.

B. The hospice program shall design and implement a staffing plan that reflects the types of services offered and shall provide qualified staff in sufficient numbers to meet the assessed needs of all patients, including those patients residing in the provider's hospice facility, if applicable.

C. Employees and contractors shall be licensed or certified as required by the Department of Health Professions.

D. The hospice program shall implement a mechanism to verify professional credentials.

E. Any person who assumes the responsibilities of any staff position or positions shall meet the minimum qualifications for that position or positions. Professional staff may be assigned multiple job responsibilities provided the individual is appropriately qualified.

F. The hospice program shall obtain the required sworn statement and criminal record check for each compensated employee as specified in § 32.1-162.9:1 of the Code of Virginia.

G. Each employee position shall have a written job description that includes:

1. Job title;

2. Duties and responsibilities required of the position;

3. Job title of the immediate supervisor; and

4. Minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities or professional qualifications required for entry level.

H. Employees shall have access to their current position description. There shall be a mechanism for advising employees of changes to their job responsibilities.

I. New employees and contract individuals shall be oriented commensurate with their function or job-specific responsibilities. Orientation shall include:

1. Objectives and philosophy of the hospice program;

2. Confidentiality practices;

3. Patient rights;

4. Mandated reporting of abuse, neglect and exploitation;

5. Applicable personnel policies;

6. Emergency preparedness procedures;

7. Infection control practices and measures; and

8. Applicable laws, regulations, and other policies and procedures that apply to specific positions and specific duties and responsibilities.

J. The hospice program shall implement a policy for evaluating employee performance.

K. Individual staff development needs and plans shall be a part of the performance evaluation.

L. The hospice program shall provide opportunities for and record participation in staff development activities designed to enable staff to perform the responsibilities of their positions.

M. All individuals who enter a patient's home for or on behalf of the hospice program shall be readily identifiable by employee nametag.

N. The hospice program shall maintain an organized system to manage and protect the confidentiality of personnel files and records.

O. Employee personnel records, whether hard-copy or electronic, shall include:

1. Identifying information;

2. Education and training history;

3. Employment history;

4. Results of the verification of applicable professional licenses or certificates;

5. Results of reasonable efforts to secure job-related references and reasonable verification of employment history;

6. Results of performance evaluations;

7. A record of disciplinary actions taken by the hospice program, if any;

8. A record of adverse action by any licensing bodies and hospice programs, if any;

9. A record of participation in staff development activities, including orientation;

10. The criminal record check; and

11. A signed job description.

P. Each employee personnel record shall be retained in its entirety for a minimum of three years after termination of employment.

Q. Personnel record information shall be safeguarded against loss and unauthorized use.

R. Employee health-related information shall be maintained separately within the hospice program's personnel files, but may be maintained in a separate secure section for confidentiality.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 21, Issue 23, eff. November 1, 2005.

Statutory Authority

§§ 32.1-12 and 32.1-162.5 of the Code of Virginia.