Hospital patient discharge process: homeless patients.

(1) Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to license and regulate general acute care hospitals, acute psychiatric hospitals, and special hospitals. Existing law requires these hospitals to comply with specific statutory provisions for standards of care and regulations promulgated by the department, and a violation of these provisions or regulations is a crime. Existing law requires each hospital to have a written discharge planning policy and process that requires that the appropriate arrangements for posthospital care are made prior to discharge for those patients likely to suffer adverse health consequences upon discharge if there is no adequate discharge planning.