Section He-P 806.21 - Physical Environment(a) The licensed premises, including mobile NEWCC vehicles, shall be maintained, inside and outside, so as to provide for the health, safety, well-being and comfort of patients and personnel, including reasonable accommodations for patients and personnel with mobility limitations.(b) The licensee shall: (1) Have all emergency entrances and exits accessible at all times and be free from obstructions;(2) Be maintained in good repair and kept free of hazards to personnel and patients, including but not limited to hazards from falls, burns, or electric shocks; (3) Be free from environmental nuisances, including excessive noise and odors;(4) Keep all corridors free from obstructions; and(5) Take reasonable measures to prevent the presence of rodents, insects, and vermin to include, but not be limited to: a. Having tightly fitting screens on all doors, windows, or other openings to the outside unless the door is self-closing and remains closed when not in use;b. Repairing holes and caulking of pipe channels; andc. Extermination by a pesticide applicator licensed under RSA 430. (c) Notwithstanding general access requirements from the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) "Guidelines for the Design and Construction of Outpatient Facilities" (2018 edition), available as noted in Appendix A, a NEWCC located on the premises of another entity shall not be required to provide separate exterior entrances or designated parking, or to provide a patient waiting area or reception area that is separated from the public area of the host entity.(d) Equipment providing heat within an NEWCC including, but not limited to, gas furnace or boiler, oil furnace or boiler, wood stove or pellet stove shall:(1) Maintain a temperature of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit if patient(s) are present; and(2) Be serviced once a year or as recommended by the manufacturer with written documentation of such service retained for at least 4 years.(e) Electric heating systems shall be exempt from He-P 806.21(d) (2) .(f) Portable space heating devices shall be prohibited, unless the following are met: (1) Such devices are used only in employees areas where personnel are present and awake at all times; and(2) The heating elements of such devices do not exceed 212 degrees Fahrenheit.(g) Unvented fuel-fired heaters shall not be used in any NEWCC.(h) Plumbing shall be sized, installed, and maintained in accordance with the provisions of the International Plumbing Code, as specified in the state building code under RSA 155-A:1, IV, as amended by the building code review board pursuant to RSA 155-A:10, V.(i) Ventilation shall be provided throughout the entire building by means of a mechanical ventilation system or with one or more screened windows that can be opened.(j) Screens shall be provided for doors, windows or other openings to the outside.(k) Doors that are self-closing and remain closed when not in use are exempt from the requirement in (i) above.(l) In accordance with RSA 155:66, I(b) , smoking shall be prohibited in the NEWCC.(m) All NEWCCs shall have access within the NEWCC to a bathroom with a toilet, a hand washing sink, soap dispenser, paper towels or a hand-drying device providing heated air, and hot and cold running water.(n) All bathroom doors shall have a side hinge door and not a folding or sliding door or a curtain.(o) Notwithstanding (l) above, if the NEWCC is located within a retail store that has a public bathroom with a toilet and the bathroom complies with all applicable sanitation and construction regulations, the NEWCC shall not be required to have its own bathroom but shall: (1) Have its own hand washing sink with hot and cold running water, soap dispenser, and paper towels or a hand-drying device providing heated air, and(2) Not permit biological samples collected in the retail store's public bathroom to be transported through the retail store except in properly enclosed biohazard containers and bags.(p) There shall be sufficient space and equipment for the services provided at the NEWCC.(q) All exam tables shall be changed with clean linens or common paper between use by different patients.(r) The licensee shall provide patients with continuous access to a device or means that will signal NEWCC personnel when they are in need of assistance.(s) All bathroom and closet door latches or locks shall be designed for easy opening from the inside and outside in an emergency.(t) If available, all showers and tubs shall have slip resistant floors and surfaces which are intact, easily cleanable, and impervious to water.(u) All mattresses and new upholstered furniture or draperies shall comply with the applicable portions of Saf-C 6000 under RSA 153, and as amended pursuant to RSA 153:5, I, by the state fire marshal with the board of fire control.(v) A privacy partition, curtain, or screen shall be required between beds in semiprivate rooms.(w) The NEWCC shall keep all entrances and exits to the licensed premises accessible at all times during hours of operation.(x) The NEWCC shall be clean, sanitary, maintained in a safe manner and good repair, and kept free of hazards.(y) The NEWCC shall provide the following:(1) Reception and waiting areas that include a reception desk or counter, chairs, tables and lighting adequate to read materials and complete forms as required;(2) Public access to toilet facilities with non-porous floors;(3) A number of examination and treatment rooms adequate to provide services to the average number of patients seen daily; and(4) Hot water available at all times from taps available to patients and not less than 105 degrees Fahrenheit or more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.(z) Medical waste shall be disposed of in accordance with the requirements of Env-Sw 904. (aa) Except as described in He-P 806.21(b), the NEWCC shall comply with all federal, state and local health, building, fire and zoning laws, rules and ordinances.(ab) The water used in the NEWCC shall be suitable for human consumption, pursuant to Env-Ws 315 and Env-Ws 316.N.H. Admin. Code § He-P 806.21
Amended by Volume XXXVIII Number 50, Filed December 13, 2018, Proposed by 12674, Effective 11/20/2018, Expires 5/20/2019.Amended by Volume XXXIX Number 24, Filed June 13, 2019, Proposed by #12795, Effective 5/30/2019, Expires 5/30/2029.