(1) Only rural hospitals meeting the criteria in s. 395.602(2)(e) may be licensed as emergency care hospitals.

(2) For the purpose of Medicaid swing-bed reimbursement pursuant to the Medicaid program, the department shall treat emergency care hospitals in the same manner as rural hospitals.

(3) For the purpose of participation in the Medical Education Reimbursement and Loan Repayment Program as defined in s. 240.4067 or other loan repayment or incentive programs designed to relieve medical workforce shortages, the department shall treat emergency care hospitals in the same manner as rural hospitals.

(4) For the purpose of coordinating primary care services described in s. 154.011(1)(c)10. and aging services described in [Footnote 1] s. 410.016(2)(n), the department shall treat emergency care hospitals in the same manner as rural hospitals.

(5) Rural hospitals that make application under the certificate-of-need program to be licensed as emergency care hospitals shall receive expedited review as defined in s. 408.032. Emergency care hospitals seeking relicensure as acute care general hospitals shall also receive expedited review.

(6) The board shall treat emergency care hospitals in the same manner as hospitals defined in s. 408.07.

(7) Emergency care hospitals are exempt from certificate-of-need requirements for home health and hospice services and for swing beds in a number that does not exceed one-half of the facility's licensed beds.

(8) The agency shall adopt rules for facility licensure that conform to s. 395.1055. Rules shall include the following provisions:

(a) Emergency care hospitals shall have agreements with other hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, and with providers of diagnostic-imaging and laboratory services that are not provided on site but are needed by patients.

(b) All patients shall be under the care of a physician or under the care of a nurse practitioner or physician assistant supervised by a physician.

(c) A physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant shall be on duty at all times, or a physician shall be on call and available within 30 minutes at all times.

(d) All compounding, packaging, and dispensing of drugs and biologicals shall be under the supervision of a pharmacist.

(e) Diagnostic radiologic services and clinical laboratory services shall be maintained at the facility or shall be available to meet the needs of its patients.

(f) Clinical laboratory services provided by the facility shall, at a minimum, include: 1. Chemical examinations of urine by stick or tablet methods, or both (including urine ketones). 2. Microscopic examinations of urine sediment. 3. Hemoglobin or hematocrit. 4. Blood sugar. 5. Gram stain. 6. Examination of stool specimens for occult blood. 7. Pregnancy tests. 8. Primary culturing for transmittal to a certified laboratory. 9. Sediment rate, CBC.