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Delaware Code Title 16. Health and Safety § 1001. “Hospital” defined

Current as of January 01, 2026 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a) As used in this chapter, “hospital” means a health-care organization that has a governing body, an organized medical and professional staff, and inpatient facilities, and provides either medical diagnosis, treatment and care, nursing and related services for ill and injured patients, or rehabilitation services for the rehabilitation of ill, injured or disabled patients 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and primarily engaged in providing inpatient services.

(b) Hospitals may be further classified as:

(1) General. -- Providing diverse patient services, diagnostic and therapeutic, for a variety of medical conditions.  A general hospital must provide on-site:

a. Diagnostic x-ray services with facilities and staff for a variety of procedures.

b. Clinical laboratory services with facilities and with anatomical pathology services regularly and conveniently available.

c. Operating room service with facilities and staff.

d. Emergency department with facilities and staff.

(2) Long-term care. -- Providing inpatient services for patients whose medically-complex conditions require a long hospital stay with an average length of stay of greater than 25 days.

(3) Psychiatric. -- Providing services for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with psychiatric-related illness.

(4) Rehabilitation. -- Providing intensive inpatient rehabilitative services for 1 or more conditions requiring rehabilitation.

(5) Surgical. -- Providing inpatient and outpatient surgical and related services in which the anticipated duration of the patient's stay will not exceed 72 hours following admission.  A surgical hospital must provide all of the following services on-site:

a. Diagnostic x-ray services with facilities and staff for a variety of procedures.

b. Clinical laboratory services with facilities and anatomical pathology services regularly and conveniently available.

c. Operating room service with facilities and staff.

d. Basic emergency care.

(c) Hospitals classified under paragraphs (b)(2) through (4) of this section shall not be required to comply with the provisions of paragraph (b)(1) of this section, but must, at a minimum, provide on-site basic emergency care services.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Delaware Code Title 16. Health and Safety § 1001. “Hospital” defined - last updated January 01, 2026 | https://codes.findlaw.com/de/title-16-health-and-safety/de-code-sect-16-1001/

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