HSC §1261.4 (AB 749) Compliance

As required by California Legislation HSC §1261.4 all nursing home medical directors* in California must be certified by the American Board of Post-Acute and Long Term Care Medicine (ABPLM). HSC §1261.4 (previously AB 749) will help ensure that every medical director in California is prepared to provide effective oversight of quality and safety in their nursing homes. A medical director already employed in a skilled nursing facility as of January 1, 2022, has five years (until January 1, 2027) to become a Certified Medical Director. 

For complete details and exemptions visit: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB749


Initial Steps to Complete Certification of Medical Director (CMD) - Click here for downloadable copy.

Meet California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Licensing and Certification Program, requirement to submit form HS 215A.

  • Facility Administrator and Medical Director should collaboratively complete CDPH Form HS 215A; the facility is responsible for submitting the required documents to CDPH.
  • Establish a timeline for Medical Director to complete CMD requirements as established by ABPLM (ABPLM CMD Initial Certification Pathway Chart with definitions)
  • Join the national organization for Medical Directors, The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (AMDA), to receive discounted rates for the AMDA Core Curriculum and Core Synthesis.
  • Become a member of the California Association of Long Term Care Medicine (CALTCM) to stay up to date and fulfill CMD educational requirements within California by attending CALTCM’s Annual Meeting, Leadership in Management in Geriatrics (LMG), and other educational courses.
  • Enroll in AMDA’s Online Core Curriculum, which is the first part of the Core Curriculum on Medical Direction in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Training Course. Online curriculum must be completed within six months. Comprised of 29.5 hours of online content, covering 22 critical areas impacting PALTC leadership and management. 
  • Contact ABPLM (cmd@paltc.org) to receive a letter documenting the medical director’s certification status (e.g. has initiated the process, registered for the required Online Core Curriculum, etc.).

Finalize and submit CDPH Form HS 215A with additional documents:

  • Utilize Cover Letter template from CALTCM.
  • Completed CDPH Form HS 215A.
  • Medical Director résumé.
  • Letter from ABPLM documenting medical director’s certification status.
  • Submit to CDPH Centralized Applications Branch (CAB).  (MAIL)
    California Department of Public Health
    Licensing and Certification Program
    Centralized Applications Branch
    P.O. Box 997377, MS 3207
    Sacramento, CA 95899-7377 


 Supplemental resources:

CALTCM Webpage: Certified Medical Director (CMD) Information