Who we are

We inspect health facilities statewide to ensure they meet state and federal standards and investigate complaints against them. Our goals are to ensure providers deliver safe, quality services and to support high-quality health care for all Alaskans.

Our team includes registered nurses, life safety surveyors (certified fire inspectors), and support staff.

What we do

We inspect health care facilities across Alaska unannounced. Visits may last 1-5 days, depending on facility size and type.

During inspections, we review medical records, observe care, interview staff, patients, and families, check policies, and inspect building conditions. These inspections are required by state and federal law. Health facilities must renew their licenses every two years.

Licensing & Certification 

Our office is responsible to license and certify health facilities throughout the state of Alaska. For facilities that take part in federal Medicare and Medicaid programs, certification takes place through an agreement with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 

For information on how to apply for licensing and/or certification, select the facility type below or visit our licensing and certification service page.

Licensing & certification information by facility type

Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs)

View

An ASC is a distinct entity that operates exclusively for the purpose of providing surgical services to patients not requiring hospitalization and in which the expected duration of services would not exceed 24 hours following an admission. (Exceptions to this should be rare.)

Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs)

Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs)

View

CAHs represent a separate provider type with their own Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoP) as well as a separate payment method. The CoPs for CAHs are listed in the “Code of Federal Regulations” at 42 CFR 485 subpart F.

For more on licensing and oversight of CAHs in Alaska, see the Hospitals page:

Hospitals & Specialized Hospitals

End-Stage Renal Disease facilities (ESRDs)

View

ESRD facilities include:

Renal Transplantation Center
A hospital unit approved to directly furnish transplantation and other medical and surgical specialty services required for the care of ESRD transplant patients, including inpatient dialysis furnished directly or under arrangement. A renal transplantation center may also be a renal dialysis center.
 
Renal Dialysis Center
A renal dialysis center is a hospital unit that is approved to furnish the full spectrum of diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitative services required for the care of ESRD dialysis patients (including inpatient dialysis furnished directly or under arrangement and outpatient dialysis). A hospital need not provide renal transplantation to qualify as a renal dialysis center.
 
Renal Dialysis Facility
A renal dialysis facility is a unit that is approved to furnish dialysis service(s) directly to ESRD patients.
 
Self Dialysis Unit
A self-dialysis unit is a unit that is part of an approved renal transplantation center, renal dialysis center, or renal dialysis facility, and which furnishes self-dialysis services.

For more on licensing and oversight of ESRDs in Alaska, see the ESRDs page:

End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Facilities

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)

View

For information on FQHC licensing, oversight, and monitoring in Alaska see the FQHC page. 

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)

Free-Standing Birth Centers (FSBCs)

View

For more information on Free-Standing Birth Centers licensing, oversight, and monitoring in Alaska, see this page:

Free-Standing Birth Centers (FSBCs)

 

Frontier Extended Stay Clinics (FESCs)

View

For more information on licensing, oversight, and monitoring of Frontier Extended Stay Clinics, see the Rural Health Clinics & Frontier Extended Stay Clinics page.

Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) & Frontier Extended Stay Clinics (FESCs)

General Acute Care Hospitals (GACHs)

View

For information on licensing, oversight, and monitoring of General Acute Care Hospitals (GACHs), see the Hospitals & Specialized Hospitals page. 

Hospitals & Specialized Hospitals

Home Health Agencies (HHAs)

View

HHAs provide services that cover a broad range of care provided in the home environment. 

For more on licensing and oversight of HHAs in Alaska, see the HHAs page:

Home Health Agencies (HHAs)

Hospice

Full-service, Volunteer, and Inpatient

View

Overview

In general, a hospice is an entity that provides end-of-life hospice care to people who are terminally ill.

For more on licensing and oversight of hospice agencies in Alaska, see the Hospice Agencies page:

Hospice Agencies

Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals (LTACHs)

View

For information on LTACH licensing, oversight and monitoring, see the page Hospitals & Specialized Hospitals.

Hospitals & Specialized Hospitals

Long-Term Care facilities (LTCs)

View

A long-term care facility is designed to provide 24-hour care for individuals who are no longer able to live independently due to chronic illnesses, disabilities, or the effects of aging. The primary purpose of such facilities is to offer a supportive environment where residents can receive medical, physical, emotional, and social care that meets their daily needs.

For more on licensing and oversight of LTCs in Alaska, see the LTC Facilities page:

Long Term Care (LTC) Facilities

Outpatient Physical Therapy / Speech Pathology Providers

OPT/OSP facilities

View

For information on OPT or OSP provider licensing, oversight and monitoring, see Outpatient Physical Therapy (OPT) & Outpatient Speech Pathology Facilities.

Outpatient Physical Therapy (OPT) & Outpatient Speech Pathology (OSP) Facilities

Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs)

View

A Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) is a Residential Psychiatric Treatment Center (RPTC) that has been federally certified.

For more information on RPTC and PRTF licensing, oversight, and monitoring in Alaska see the RPTC facilities page. 

Residential Psychiatric Treatment Centers (RPTCs)

Residential Psychiatric Treatment Centers (RPTCs)

View

A Residential Psychiatric Treatment Center (RPTC) is defined as a secure or semi-secure facility, or an inpatient program in another facility, that provides, under the direction of a physician, psychiatric diagnostic, evaluation, and treatment services on a 24-hour-a-day basis to children with severe emotional or behavioral disorders. 

Some RPTCs qualify to be Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs)

For more information on RPTC and PRTF licensing, oversight, and monitoring in Alaska see the RPTC facilities page. 

Residential Psychiatric Treatment Centers (RPTCs)

Rural Health Clinics (RHCs)

View

For information on licensing, oversight and monitoring of Rural Health Clinics, see the page Rural Health Clinics & Frontier Extended Stay Clinics.

Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) & Frontier Extended Stay Clinics (FESCs)

Rural Primary Care Hospitals (RPCHs)

View

For information on licensing, oversight, and monitoring of Rural Primary Care Hospitals (RPCHs), see the Hospitals & Specialized Hospitals page. 

Specialized Hospitals

Psychiatric, Substance Abuse, & Rehabilitation hospitals

View

For information on licensing, oversight and monitoring of Specialized Hospitals, see the page Hospitals & Specialized Hospitals.

Hospitals & Specialized Hospitals

Subacute Mental Health facilities

View

Once regulations are final, entities that meet the definition of Subacute Mental Health Facilities must become licensed by HFLC and adhere to the crisis center licensing requirements.

For more information and interim guidance on Subacute Mental Health Facility licensing, oversight, and monitoring in Alaska, see the Subacute Mental Health Facilities page. 

Subacute Mental Health Facilities

Health Facility complaints reporting

As required by law, we maintain a dedicated reporting line for health facility complaints. 

Health Facility Complaint Form

Complaints can also be submitted to HFLC using the following contact methods:

Mail:  Health Facilities Licensing & Certification
           Attn: Complaint Coordinator
           4601 Business Park Blvd., Bldg. K
           Anchorage, AK 99503

Secure Fax: (907) 334-2682  

Secure Email: (for those with a Direct Secure Messaging account): DHCS.HFLC@hss.soa.direct.net

HFLC list

The current State licensing period for all facilities runs July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026 unless otherwise noted for facilities currently on a provisional license.

Licensing & Certification: Health Facilities List

If the information on our list for your facility is incorrect, please email it to the address in "Contact us," below.

Resources

Related Education

Contact us

Health Facilities Licensing

907-334-2682

4601 Business Park Blvd., Bldg. K, Anchorage, AK 99503