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 residential and institutional facilities 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 five separate units. Below is a list of the units and the facility types associated with each unit.

State Licensure Plan Review and Inspection

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 psychiatric hospitals, intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID), and mental health institutional and residential facilities, women health service centers, child care centers and county and municipal jails. At the request of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Service Division of Social Services (DSS), the Construction Section also reviews plans for the construction and remodeling of children’s foster care camps, residential child-care facilities and residential maternity homes licensed by DSS.

State Licensure Biennial Residential Survey

Conducts biennial surveys of the following facility types: family care homes and mental health group homes for children and adults with mental illness, developmental disabilities and substance abuse issues. ICF/IID group homes are surveyed by the Federal Life Safety Unit.

State Licensure Biennial Institutional Survey

Conducts biennial surveys of the following facility types: adult care homes and mental health institutional facilities for children and adults with mental illness, developmental disabilities and substance abuse issues.

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.