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What is a Health Care Facility according to the NEC?

jar546

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Oct 16, 2009
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First, here is the definition:
Health Care Facilities.
Buildings, portions of buildings, or mobile enclosures in which human medical, dental, psychiatric, nursing, obstetrical, or surgical care are provided. [99:3.3.67]

Now here is what that means:
The term health care facility should not be confused with the term health care occupancy. All health care occupancies, including ambulatory health care occupancies, are considered health care facilities; however, not all health care facilities are considered health care occupancies. A medical office building can be a medical facility, but under NFPA 101 it typically would be a business occupancy. A hospital is a health care facility, but it can be several different occupancies (health care, assembly, business, ambulatory health care, and so forth).

The NEC does not designate the type of facility or level of care provided. The governing body of the facility determines the type of services being provided at a facility. For example, depending on the jurisdiction, a chiropractic office might or might not be a facility covered under Article 517.
 
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