Hospitals - General Hospitals

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As defined by Texas Health and Safety Code Section 241.003, a general hospital is an establishment that meets both of the following criteria:

  • Offers services, facilities, and beds for use for more than 24 hours for two or more unrelated individuals requiring diagnosis, treatment, or care for illness, injury, deformity, abnormality, or pregnancy
  • Regularly maintains, at a minimum, the following:
    • Clinical laboratory services
    • Diagnostic x-ray services
    • Treatment facilities including surgery or obstetrical care, or both
    • Other definitive medical or surgical treatment of similar extent

Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 241 establishes the state licensing requirements for general hospitals. Under state law, HHSC is responsible for the licensing and regulation of general hospitals in Texas, and the Regulatory Services Division within HHSC carries out these duties.

HHSC adopts rules for general hospitals including establishing standards for:

  • Licensing procedures and fees
  • License denial, probation, suspension, and revocation
  • Requirements for staffing by physicians and nurses
  • Hospital services relating to patient care
  • Fire prevention, safety, and sanitation requirements in hospitals
  • Patient care and a patient bill of rights
  • Compliance with other state and federal laws affecting the health, safety, and rights of hospital patients
  • Inspection, investigation, and enforcement procedures

Laws and Rules

Texas Laws

Rules and Regulations

Senate Bill 1137 Hospital Price Transparency Information

Find or Verify a License

Licensing

An applicant seeking a general hospital license must submit a complete application, license fee, and other applicable documents to HHSC. The Health Facility Licensing Unit will not process an application until after HHSC Accounts Receivable receives and posts the license fee.

Refer to the application or instructions linked in this section for specific requirements.

HHSC must review and approve all required application materials received before issuing a license to an applicant.

Initial Licensure Applications

Change of Ownership Applications

Relocation Applications

Renewal Licensure Applications

Supporting Forms and Documents

Architectural Review Information and Forms

Refer to the Architectural Information page.

Complaint and Incident Submission Information

Inspection Components

HHSC conducts health compliance on-site inspections to determine compliance with the provisions of the Health and Safety Code and associated rules listed in the Laws and Rules section of this page. During the inspection, HHSC staff generally perform the following activities:

  • Conduct an entrance and an exit conference with applicable facility personnel
  • Explain the inspection process and answer questions
  • Review clinical records
  • Review facility and personnel records
  • Review facility policies and procedures
  • Review quality assurance activities
  • Interview staff
  • Assess the facility's compliance with applicable statutes and rules
  • Discuss final inspection findings with applicable facility personnel

Enforcement Actions

Human Trafficking Resources

Provider Certification

The Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services directs state health agencies or other appropriate agencies to determine whether health care entities meet federal standards. This helping function is termed "provider certification." Health Care Regulation staff are responsible for providing certification oversight on behalf of CMS for general hospitals.

For more information on the certification process, refer to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Information page, or contact your regional office (PDF).

Critical Access Hospital

CAHs are a type of hospital that may be grated a special federal designation when they meet one or more of the following eligibility criteria:

  • Currently-participating Medicare hospitals
  • Hospitals that ceased operations on or after November 29, 1989
  • Health clinics or centers (as defined by the State) that previously operated as a hospital before being downsized to a health clinic or center

Refer to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services' website for information on obtaining Medicare certification, and refer to the CMS Critical Access Hospitals page for more information on CAHs. The Texas State Office of Rural Health maintains a list of CAHs in Texas. 

Accreditation

Hospitals may be accredited.

Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments Information

Refer to our CLIA information page. For more information on CLIA, contact your regional office (PDF).

Contact Information

Health Care Regulation Contact Information

For Health Care Regulation contact information, visit our Contact Us page.

Health Care Facility Enforcement

Phone: 512-438-5439   
Fax: 512-438-3697   
Email: Health.Facilities.Enforcement@hhsc.state.tx.us   
Mailing Address:   
Texas Health and Human Services Commission   
Regulatory Services Division   
Health Care Facility Enforcement, MC 1866   
P.O. Box 149347   
Austin, TX 78714-9347

Open Records Requests

Texas Health and Human Services is committed to providing full access to public information. For information on how to submit an open records request, visit the Open Records Policy and Procedures webpage .