(1) It is unlawful for a person to operate or maintain a hospice, use the title “hospice”, or represent that the person provides a hospice program of care, without first obtaining a license therefor from the department.
(2) The license shall be displayed in a conspicuous place inside the hospice program office; shall be valid only in the possession of the person to which it is issued; shall not be subject to sale, assignment or other transfer, voluntary or involuntary; and shall not be valid for any hospice other than the hospice for which originally issued.
(3) Services provided by a hospital, nursing home or other health-care facility or health-care provider shall not be considered to constitute a hospice program of care unless such facility, provider or care giver establishes a freestanding or distinct hospice unit, staff, facility and services to provide hospice home care, homelike inpatient hospice care, or outpatient hospice care under the separate and distinct administrative authority of a hospice program.
(4) A license for a hospice program shall not be issued if the hospice is to be located in an area in violation of any local zoning ordinances or regulations.