38 CFR 51.340 – Physician and other licensed medical practitioner services
The State home must provide its residents the primary care necessary to enable them to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being. When a resident needs care other than the State home is required to provide under this subpart, the State home is responsible to assist the resident to obtain that care. The State home must ensure that a physician personally approves in writing a recommendation that an individual be admitted to a domiciliary. Each resident must remain at all times under the care of a licensed medical practitioner assigned by the State home. The name of the practitioner will be listed in the resident’s medical record. The State home must ensure that all of the following conditions in paragraphs (a) through (e) of this section are met:
(a) Supervision of medical practitioners. Any licensed medical practitioner who is not a physician may provide medical care to a resident within the practitioner’s scope of practice without physician supervision when permitted by State law.
(b) Availability of medical practitioners. If the resident’s assigned licensed medical practitioner is unavailable, another licensed medical practitioner must be available to provide care for that resident.
(c) Visits. The primary care physician or other licensed medical practitioner, for each visit required by paragraph (d) of this section, must
(1) Review the resident’s total program of care, including medications and treatments;
(2) Write, sign, and date progress notes; and
(3) Sign and date all orders.
(d) Frequency of visits. The primary care physician or other licensed medical practitioner must conduct an in-person medical assessment of the resident at least once a calendar year, or more frequently based on the resident’s condition.
(e) Availability of emergency care. The State home must assist residents in obtaining emergency care.