Facility Locator Glossary

Updated August 2007

Abortion Clinic – Abortion clinics are facilities for terminating pregnancies. This does not include a hospital or a doctor's office where abortions might be performed, but where this is not the primary purpose. Abortion clinics are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida.

Adult Day Care Center – Adult day care centers provide programs and services for adults who need a protective setting during the day. An adult day care center can be a freestanding program or services can be offered through a nursing home, assisted living facility, or hospital. The basic services include, but are not limited to: social activities, self-care training, nutritional meals, a place to rest, and respite care. Adult day care centers are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida.

Adult Family Care Home – Adult family care homes provide full-time, family-type living in a private home for up to five elderly persons or adults with a disability, who are not related to the owner. The owner lives in the same house as the residents. The basic services include, but are not limited to: housing and nutritional meals; help with the activities of daily living, like bathing, dressing, eating, walking, physical transfer, giving medications or helping residents give themselves medications; supervision of residents; arrange for health care services; provide or arrange for transportation to health care services; health monitoring; and social activities. Adult family care homes are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida.

Ambulatory Surgical Center – Ambulatory surgical centers (ASC) are freestanding facilities that are not part of a hospital. An ASC provides elective surgical care where the patient is admitted to and discharged from the facility within the same working day. The patient does not stay overnight. Hospitals can have outpatient surgical units, but these units would be a part of the hospital license and would not require a separate ASC license. Ambulatory surgical centers are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida.

Assisted Living Facility – Assisted living facilities (ALF) provide full-time living arrangements in the least restrictive and most home-like setting. The basic services include, but are not limited to: housing and nutritional meals; help with the activities of daily living, like bathing, dressing, eating, walking, physical transfer, giving medications or helping residents give themselves medications; arrange for health care services; provide or arrange for transportation to health care services; health monitoring; respite care; and social activities. Assisted living facilities are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida.

STD: Standard – A resident in a Standard ALF must meet certain criteria, such as being able to perform the activities of daily living like eating, walking, and toileting, which can be done with supervision or assistance. The services provided are described in the prior paragraph.
LMH:Limited Mental Health – If an ALF serves three or more mental health residents they must have a LMH license and provide services for these residents' special needs.
LNS:Limited Nursing Services – An ALF with a LNS license offers some limited nursing services as defined by law, but does not include 24-hour nursing supervision.
ECC:Extended Congregate Care – An ALF with an ECC license may keep residents who become frailer than would normally be permitted in order for the resident to age in place. For example with an ECC license the facility can provide total help with bathing, dressing, grooming and toileting, and can provide or arrange for rehabilitative services, along with other services. However, this does not include 24-hour nursing services.
PRV:Provisional – A provisional license is a temporary license issued to an applicant initially applying for a license or application for a change of ownership. Once the applicant meets the license requirements, a license will be issued with one or more of the above designations (Standard, LMH, LNS, or ECC).
Each Assisted Living Facility on the website will list under “Capacity” the number of OSS or NON-OSS beds.

OSS (Optional State Supplementation) is a cash assistance program provided through the Florida Department of Children and Families. It adds to a person's income to help pay for costs in an assisted living facility, mental health residential treatment facility or an adult family care home. The OSS listing refers to the number of beds available for residents receiving OSS and NON-OSS refers to beds available for private pay residents.

Birth Center– A birth center is a freestanding facility in which births are planned to occur away from the mother's place of residence following a normal, uncomplicated, low-risk pregnancy. It is not an ambulatory surgery center, a hospital, or located within a hospital. Birth centers are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida.

Cardiac Catheterization– Cardiac catheterization laboratories are freestanding facilities that employ or contract with licensed health care professionals to provide diagnostic or therapeutic services for cardiac conditions such as cardiac catheterization or balloon angioplasty. Cardiac catheterization may also be performed at other types of health care facilities, like hospitals or ambulatory surgical centers. Freestanding cardiac catheterization labs are not required to have a state license.

Clinical Laboratory– A clinical laboratory performs one or more of the following services to provide information or materials for use in the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of a disease or the identification or assessment of a medical or physical condition. Services include examination of fluids, tissue, cells, or other materials taken from the human body. All facilities, including physician offices, performing waived or non-waived clinical laboratory testing, are required to get a federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) certificate and a state clinical laboratory license. Survey requirements apply only to those laboratories performing non-waived testing.

Comm Mental Hlth Part Hosp Pgm – The abbreviated title on Facility Locator stands for partial hospitalization program for community mental health providers. These programs provide services for mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Florida has outpatient license requirements only for substance abuse services and health care clinics. The Department of Children and Families regulates substance abuse services and the Agency for Health Care Administration licenses health care clinics. Unless the program meets the requirement to be a licensed health care clinic or a licensed substance abuse program, there is no state license requirement for partial hospitalization programs for community mental health providers. For further information see the health care clinic definition (in this document) or contact the Department of Children and Families concerning substance abuse services.

Comprehensive Outpatient Rehab Facility – A comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility is a non-residential facility that provides diagnostic, therapeutic, and restorative services for the rehabilitation of injured, disabled, or sick persons, by or under the supervision of a physician. Comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities are not required to be licensed by the state.

Crisis Stabilization Unit– The list of crisis stabilization units includes two programs.

Crisis stabilization units provide brief psychiatric intervention, primarily for low-income individuals with acute psychiatric conditions. Inpatient stays average 3 to 14 days, resulting in return to the patient's own home or placement in a long-term mental health facility or other living arrangements.

Short-term residential treatment facilities provide a step-down service for residents of crisis stabilization units needing a more extended, but less intensive level of active treatment for psychiatric conditions.

Both of these facility types are licensed by the State of Florida. If you call any of the facilities on this list you will want to ask them if they a crisis stabilization unit or a short-term residential treatment facility.

End-Stage Renal Disease– This is a program that offers dialysis services. (Dialysis cleans the blood by passing it through a special machine. This is necessary when the kidneys are not able to filter the blood.) The program can either be a freestanding facility or offered as an outpatient service through a hospital. End-stage renal disease programs are not required to have a state license.

Forensic Toxicology Laboratory– A forensic toxicology laboratory examines specimens taken from the human body to look for the presence or absence of drugs or their metabolites. The purpose is to promote a drug free workplace. A forensic toxicology laboratory is licensed by the State of Florida and must meet the requirements of a clinical laboratory (See the clinical laboratory definition).

HCC-Exemptions – These are businesses that have gotten an exemption to the health care clinic license requirement. However, businesses that meet the exemption criteria are not required to have an official exemption, so there may be clinics that are exempt that are not listed here. The exemption criteria are listed in section 400.9905(3), Florida Statutes.

Health Care Clinic– A health care clinic provides health care services to individuals for a fee. Health care clinics are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida.

Health Care Services Pool– A health care services pool provides temporary employment of licensed, certified, or trained health care personnel to health care facilities, residential facilities, and agencies. Health care services pools are registered by the State of Florida.

Health Maintenance Organization – A health maintenance organization (HMO) provides prepaid health care services with emphasis on preventive health care through effective quality and cost controls. The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) monitors HMOs for care-related issues and the Department of Financial Services (DFS) monitors HMO for financial and contractual issues. There are three types of HMOs:

Commercially Licensed HMOs– Are required to receive a health care provider certificate from AHCA and a certificate of authority from DFS, and to be surveyed.
Medicaid HMOs – The State of Florida buys health care services from commercially licensed HMOs for Medicaid recipients. The AHCA Bureau of Managed Health Care approves and monitors all Medicaid HMO contracts in the state. The bureau does desk and on-site reviews throughout the year for contract compliance.
Medicare HMOs – Are federal programs regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Home for Special Services– A home for special services is a residential facility where specialized health care services are provided, including personal and custodial care, but not full-time nursing services. Home for special services are licensed by the State of Florida.

Home Health Agency– A home health agency provides services to patients in private homes, assisted living facilities, and adult family care homes. Some of the services include nursing care; physical, occupational, respiratory, and speech therapy; home health aides; homemaker and companions; and medical equipment and supplies. Along with services in the home, an agency can also provide staffing services in nursing homes and hospitals. Home health agencies are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida.

If it lists Medicare and/or Medicaid under LIC TYPE on Facility Locator that means the agency can serve Medicare and/or Medicaid patients.

Home Medical Equipment– A home medical equipment company sells or rents medical equipment and services for use in the home. Home medical equipment includes any product as defined by the Federal Drug Administration's Drugs, Devices and Cosmetics Act; any products reimbursed under the Medicare Part B Durable Medical Equipment benefits; or any products reimbursed under the Florida Medicaid durable medical equipment program. Home medical equipment includes oxygen and related respiratory equipment; manual, motorized, or customized wheelchairs and related seating and positioning. Service includes managing the equipment and teaching consumers in its use. Home medical equipment companies are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida.

Homemaker and Companion Services – Homemakers and companions companies provide housekeeping, prepare and serve meals, help with shopping, routine household chores, companionship in the client's home, and can take the client to appointments and other outings. By law, homemakers and companions may not provide hands-on personal care, such as help with bathing, and cannot give medications. Homemaker and companion agencies are registered by the State of Florida. However, individuals who work on their own, with no other workers helping them are not required to be registered.

Hospice – A hospice provides services in a patient's residence or in a hospice facility for patients with a diagnosis of a terminal illness. They provide a coordinated program of professional services, including pain management and counseling for patients; nursing, physician, therapy, and social work services; counseling and support for family members and friends of the patient; and other support services. Hospices are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida.

Hospital – A hospital provides a range of health care services for people who need care longer than 24 hours, including medical, surgical, psychiatric, testing, and diagnostic services; and treatment for illness, injury, disease, pregnancy, etc. Also available are laboratory and X-ray services, and treatment facilities for surgery or obstetrical care, or special services like burn treatment centers. Hospitals are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida. Hospitals are subject to annual Life-Safety and annual or biennial Risk Management surveys by the State of Florida.

Intermediate Care Facility– The shortened title on Facility Locator stands for intermediate care facility for developmentally disabled persons (ICFDD). This residential facility provides services by an interdisciplinary team to increase a client's independence and prevent loss of abilities. ICFDDs are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida.

Lithotripsy – Lithotripsy centers are freestanding facilities that employ or contract with licensed health care professionals to provide diagnosis or treatment services using electro-hydraulic shock waves in the treatment of kidney stones. Freestanding lithotripsy centers do not require a state license. Lithotripsy may also be performed at other types of health care facilities, like hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers.

Multiphasic Health Test Center– At a multiphasic health test center specimens are taken from the human body for delivery to registered clinical laboratories for analysis and where certain measurements are taken such as height, weight, and blood pressure; limited audio and visual tests are done; and electrocardiograms are made. Multiphasic health test centers are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida.

Nurse Registry– A nurse registry acts as employment agency between an individual patient and nurses, nursing assistants, home health aides, companions and homemakers for services in the patient's home. Nurse registries also provide temporary staff for nursing homes, hospitals, and other businesses. Each individual health care worker is an independent contractor and is not a direct employee of the nurse registry. Nurse registries are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida.

Organ and Tissue Procurement– Organ and tissue procurement facilities are generally freestanding facilities that have referral relationships with transplant hospitals and surgeons. There are three types of facilities: Organ procurement organizations recover organs, hearts, lungs, kidneys, etc. from donors for transplantation; eye banks recover eyes and eye tissue for transplantation; and tissue banks recover tissue, bone, skin, tendons etc. for transplantation. Organ and tissue procurement facilities are licensed by the State of Florida.

Portable X-Ray– A portable x-ray provider gives diagnostic x-ray tests in a patient’s own home, a nursing home, or a hospital that does not provide x-ray services for its patients directly but arranges for services with a portable x-ray provider. Some portable x-ray providers may need a health care clinic license. See the health care clinic definition for further information.

Prescribed Pediatric Ext Care– A prescribed pediatric extended care facility (PPEC) provides basic nonresidential services to three or more medically dependent or technologically dependent children with complex medical conditions that require continual care. The comprehensive care includes medical, nursing, psychosocial, and developmental therapies. PPECs are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida.

Rehab Agencies– A rehabilitation agency provides a multidisciplinary program to help improve the physical function of disabled individuals by creating a team of specialized rehabilitation staff. The rehabilitation agency provides at least physical therapy or speech-language pathology services and social or vocational adjustment services. Rehabilitation agencies are not required to be licensed by the state.

Residential Treatment Center – The shortened title on Facility Locator stands for Residential Treatment Centers for Children and Adolescents. These are 24 hour residential programs, including therapeutic group homes, under contract with the Department of Children and Families or the Agency for Health Care Administration. These centers provide mental health treatment and services to children under the age of 18 who have been diagnosed as having mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders. Residential treatment centers are licensed by the State of Florida.

Residential Treatment Facility– A residential treatment facility provides long-term residential care with coordinated mental health services for adults diagnosed with a serious and persistent major mental illness. A state license covers five levels of care that range from having full-time nurses on staff to independent apartments that receive only weekly staff contact. Residential treatment facilities are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida.

Revocation – The process whereby the provider’s license (originally issued by the Agency for Health Care Administration) is terminated and the provider is not allowed to operate.

Rural Health Clinics– A rural health clinic (RHC) is designated as a RHC by the Florida Department of Health. The clinic provides care for rural residents by paying primary care practitioners a better rate to those who choose to practice in a rural setting. There are two types of rural health clinics. An independent rural health clinic is a freestanding practice that is not part of a hospital, skilled nursing facility, or home health agency. A provider-based rural health clinic is a part of a hospital, skilled nursing facility, or home health agency. Some rural health clinics may require a health care clinic license. See the health care clinic definition for further information.

Skilled Nursing Facility– A skilled nursing facility is another name for a nursing home. They provide nursing, personal, custodial, and rehabilitative care. Skilled nursing facilities are freestanding, which means they are not part of a hospital. Skilled nursing facilities are licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida.

Skilled Nursing Unit– Skilled nursing units are based in hospitals, either housed inside the hospital or in a separate building. They typically provide only short term care and rehabilitation services. The skilled nursing unit does not have a separate license because it is part of the hospital license. See the hospital definition for further information.

Transitional Living Facility– A transitional living facility provides services to persons with a spinal-cord-injury or head-injury. Specialized health care services include rehabilitative services, community reentry training, aids for independent living, counseling, and other services. This term does not include a hospital licensed under chapter 395 or any federally operated hospital or facility. A transitional living facility is licensed by the State of Florida.

Utilization Review– This program registers agents who arrange contracts to perform utilization review of hospital services for third-party payers. Utilization review is a system for reviewing hospital services given to patients to see that the services are medically necessary or appropriate. The registration process does not include full-time employees of health insurers, health maintenance organizations, or hospitals, or wholly owned subsidiaries thereof or affiliates under common ownership, when performing utilization review for their respective hospitals, health maintenance organizations, or insurers of the same insurance group. Federal and State government agents who are reviewing workers' compensation claims or self-insurance funds do not have to be registered.

Facility Locator Glossary

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