R432-150-15. Physician Services

(1)(a) The licensee shall ensure a physician approves, in writing, a recommendation that an individual be admitted to the nursing care facility. (b) Each resident shall remain under the care of a physician licensed in Utah to deliver the scope of services required by the resident. (c) Nurse practitioners or physician assistants, working under the direction of a licensed physician may initiate admission to a nursing care facility pending personal review by the physician. (2) The licensee shall provide supervision to ensure that the medical care of each resident is supervised by a physician. When a resident's attending physician is unavailable, another qualified physician shall supervise the medical care of the resident. (3) The physician that supervises the resident's care shall: (a) review the resident's total program of care, including medications and treatments, at each visit; (b) sign each order; (c) state, in writing, direction and supervision of health care provided to the resident by a nurse practitioner or physician assistant; and (d) write, sign, and date progress notes at each visit. (4) The licensee shall ensure that physician visits comply with the following: (a) a physician sees each resident at least once every 30 days for the first 90 days after admission, and at least every 60 days thereafter; (b) at the option of the physician, required visits after the initial visit may alternate between personal visits by the physician and visits by a physician assistant or nurse practitioner; (c) except as permitted in Subsection R432-150-16(4)(e), the physician makes each required visit; and (d) physician visits are completed within ten days of the date the visit is required. (5) The licensee shall provide or arrange for physician services 24 hours a day if there is an emergency.