Construction Section

General Information

The Construction Section of the Division of Health Service Regulation is responsible for:

• Licensing and regulating health care facilities for compliance with physical plant state rules and federal life safety standards
• Ensuring jail facility design and construction complies with physical plant state rules
• Ensuring the operation of county, municipal, and regional jails complies with state rules and statutes
• Providing staff support to the N.C. Medical Care Commission for construction and renovation projects funded by the Health Care Facility Finance Program (HFA).

The functions of the section include:

• Reviewing and approving plans of health care and jail construction projects
• Inspecting and recommending for licensure completed health care construction projects
• Inspecting and approving for use completed jail construction projects
• Performing biennial physical plant inspections of existing mental health and adult care facilities
• Performing life safety surveys of health care facilities for Medicare and Medicaid certification
• Conducting complaint investigations in health care facilities and jails
• Providing technical assistance to providers and state, county and local entities
• Administrating Health Care Facility Finance Program (HFA) funded construction and renovation projects.
• Performing semiannual operational inspections of county, municipal, and regional jails and detention centers throughout North Carolina

The Construction Section is divided into four separate units. Below is a list of the units and the facility types licensed, surveyed, regulated or inspected by the unit.

State Licensure

Performs plan review and inspections of the following facility types: hospitals, hospital based outpatient clinics, ambulatory surgery centers, nursing homes, adult and family care homes, hospice residential care facilities, state owned mental health facilities, mental health hospitals, intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded (ICF/MR), and mental health 24-hour residential facilities, women health service centers, child care centers and jails.

Mental Health State Licensure

Conducts biennial surveys of the following facility types: mental health 24-hour facilities, adult care homes and family care homes.

Federal Life Safety

Conducts initial surveys, resurveys and complaint investigations of any health care facility wishing to participate in the Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement program.

Jails and Detention

Conducts semiannual inspections of county, municipal, and regional jails and detention centers.