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(d) In addition to fulfilling the responsibilities described in (c) of this section, the program director for a full-service hospice agency shall

(1) employ qualified personnel;

(2) designate a nurse coordinator, and ensure the involvement of the nurse coordinator in decisions regarding employees and contract staff; and

(3) ensure that the agency has an institutional budget plan that includes

(A) an annual operating budget; and

(B) a capital expenditure plan for the next three years. (Eff. 5/24/2007, Register 182) Statutory Authority: Authority: AS 47.32.010 AS 47.32.030 7 AAC 12.331. Professional management. (a) A full-service hospice agency shall have a physician or advanced practice registered nurse to serve as medical director and assume overall responsibility for each client’s care program. The medical director shall be a member of and oversee the interdisciplinary team and the professional advisory committee. The medical director’s duties include verifying that certification of terminal illness has been issued in accordance with 7 AAC 12.318(a)(2). (b) The program director shall designate a registered nurse to serve as the nurse coordinator. The nurse coordinator shall

(1) supervise the agency’s employees and contracted staff;

(2) be available at all times for consultation during regular office hours or have a qualified designee if the nurse coordinator is on leave status or otherwise unavailable to the agency;

(3) ensure that the agency has sufficient staff to meet patient needs;

(4) be responsible for the development of nursing objectives, policies, and procedures consistent with hospice philosophy;

(5) establish staffing and on-call schedules for nursing staff to ensure the availability of