Does my practice need a Clinic license?
A typical physician’s office, in which a physician owns the practice and supervises employees who provide services in his or her specialty, is not a Clinic pursuant to the Florida Health Care Clinic.
However there are multiple other medical practices which must be licensed as Clinics. These include medical practice arrangements in which a non-physician holds an ownership interest, in which a physician with an out-of-state license is an owner, or in which employees provide services in multiple unrelated specialties.
Here are a few of the many arrangements which must be licensed as Clinics:
- A Florida physician retires and sells the practice to a limited liability company (LLC) owned by an unlicensed business person or persons.
- A Florida multispecialty practice is owned by a physician licensed only in Georgia.
- A Florida medical practice is owned by an LLC. There is only one physician investor and she is a primary care physician who has her own practice out of town. The clinic provides pain management, addiction services and dermatology.
- A physician dies and his widow assumes ownership of the practice.
If you have any doubt as to whether the Florida Health Care Clinic law applies to you, or if you suspect that you are employed by an unlicensed Clinic, you should consult a properly qualified health lawyer immediately.
The penalties for operating an unlicensed clinic are severe, including emergency suspension and fines.
Get the personalized legal services you deserve. Call Christine C. Whitney today.
Christine C. Whitney, P.A. provides quality health law services to healthcare professionals throughout Florida and nationwide. To find out what the firm can do for you, call 904.356.4387 or contact the firm online.