2007 Minnesota Statutes

256B.0952 COUNTY DUTIES; QUALITY ASSURANCE TEAMS.
    Subdivision 1. Notification. Counties shall give notice to the commission and commissioners
of human services and health of intent to join the alternative quality assurance licensing system. A
county choosing to participate in the alternative quality assurance licensing system commits to
participate for three years.
    Subd. 2. Appointment of review council; duties of council. A county or group of counties
that chooses to participate in the alternative licensing system shall appoint a quality assurance
review council comprised of advocates; consumers, families, and their legal representatives;
providers; and county staff. The council shall:
(1) review summary reports from quality assurance team reviews and make recommendations
to counties regarding program licensure;
(2) make recommendations to the commission regarding the alternative licensing system
and quality assurance process; and
(3) resolve complaints between the quality assurance teams, counties, providers, and
consumers, families, and their legal representatives.
    Subd. 3. Notice to commissioners. The county, based on reports from quality assurance
managers and recommendations from the quality assurance review council regarding the findings
of quality assurance teams, shall notify the commissioners of human services and health regarding
whether facilities, programs, or services have met the outcome standards for licensure and are
eligible for payment.
    Subd. 4. Appointment of quality assurance manager. (a) A county or group of counties
that chooses to participate in the alternative licensing system shall designate a quality assurance
manager and shall establish quality assurance teams in accordance with subdivision 5. The
manager shall recruit, train, and assign duties to the quality assurance team members. In assigning
team members to conduct the quality assurance process at a facility, program, or service, the
manager shall take into account the size of the service provider, the number of services to be
reviewed, the skills necessary for team members to complete the process, and other relevant
factors. The manager shall ensure that no team member has a financial, personal, or family
relationship with the facility, program, or service being reviewed or with any clients of the
facility, program, or service.
(b) Quality assurance teams shall report the findings of their quality assurance reviews to
the quality assurance manager. The quality assurance manager shall provide the report from the
quality assurance team to the county and, upon request, to the commissioners of human services
and health, and shall provide a summary of the report to the Quality Assurance Review Council.
    Subd. 5. Quality assurance teams. Quality assurance teams shall be comprised of
county staff; providers; consumers, families, and their legal representatives; members of
advocacy organizations; and other involved community members. Team members must
satisfactorily complete the training program approved by the commission and must demonstrate
performance-based competency. Team members are not considered to be county employees for
purposes of workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, or state retirement laws solely on
the basis of participation on a quality assurance team. The county may pay a per diem to team
members for time spent on alternative quality assurance process matters. All team members may
be reimbursed for expenses related to their participation in the alternative process.
    Subd. 6. Licensing functions. Participating counties shall perform licensing functions
and activities as delegated by the commissioner of human services in accordance with section
245A.16.
History: 1997 c 203 art 7 s 20; 1Sp2001 c 9 art 3 s 56,57; 2002 c 379 art 1 s 113; 1Sp2003 c
14 art 3 s 40; 2004 c 206 s 52; 1Sp2005 c 4 art 7 s 26