(1) Each hospice shall have a medical director licensed pursuant to chapter 458 or chapter 459 who shall have responsibility for directing the medical care and treatment of hospice patients.

(2) Each hospice shall employ a full-time registered nurse licensed pursuant to part I of chapter 464 who shall coordinate the implementation of the plan of care for each patient.

(3) A hospice shall employ a hospice care team or teams who shall participate in the establishment and ongoing review of the patient’s plan of care, and be responsible for and supervise the delivery of hospice care and services to the patient. The team shall, at a minimum, consist of a physician licensed pursuant to chapter 458 or chapter 459, a nurse licensed pursuant to part I of chapter 464, a social worker, and a pastoral or other counselor. The composition of the team may vary for each patient and, over time, for the same patient to ensure that all the patient’s needs and preferences are met.

(4) A hospice must maintain a trained volunteer staff for the purpose of providing both administrative support and direct patient care. A hospice must use trained volunteers who work in defined roles and under the supervision of a designated hospice employee for an amount of time that equals at least 5 percent of the total patient care or administrative hours provided by all paid hospice employees and contract staff in the aggregate. The hospice shall document and report the use of volunteers, including maintaining a record of the number of volunteers, the number of hours worked by each volunteer, and the tasks performed by each volunteer.

(5) A hospice may contract with other persons or legal entities to provide additional services beyond those provided by the hospice care team or, to supplement the number of persons on the hospice care team, to ensure that the needs of patients and their families are met. Persons hired on contract shall have the same qualifications as are required of hospice personnel.

(6) Each hospice shall provide ongoing training and support programs for hospice staff and volunteers.

History.—s. 11, ch. 93-179; s. 106, ch. 2000-318; s. 4, ch. 2006-155.