Skip Navigation LinksGACH-DON

Health care Facility Licensing and Certification

 Contact Us

Phone: (916) 552-8632
Email: CABHospitals@cdph.ca.gov

For application status requests, please include the following in your email:

  • Name of Facility or Agency
  • License or Facility/Agency # (if applicable)
  • Address
  • Facility or Provider Type
  • Date Documentation Sent
  • Contact Number

General Acute Care Hospital
Change of Director of Nursing Application Packet

Per AFL 19-41 (PDF), please be advised that as of July 2, 2020, CAB will ONLY accept GACH/APH online applications and will no longer accept and/or process GACH/APH paper applications received after July 1, 2020.  Refer to the Online GACH/APH Application web page for additional information or contact CABHospitals@cdph.ca.gov. 

 *Exceptions: Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (ePCI), Sterile Compounding, and Change of Management Company (CHMC) applications are only processed as paper applications until further notice.

A State license is required to operate as a General Acute Care Hospital (GACH) in California.  A GACH means "a hospital, licensed by CDPH, having a duly constituted governing body with overall administrative and professional responsibility and an organized medical staff which provides 24-hour inpatient care, including the following basic services: medical, nursing, surgical, anesthesia, laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, and dietary services", pursuant to Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR) Section 70005(a).

To report a Change of Director of Nursing, you must complete the required application packet. Refer to Title 22 CCR Section 70211 for information regarding licensure requirements.

How to Apply

An applicant must submit a completed application packet to the Centralized Applications Branch (CAB). The application packet contains the required forms in one location. The provider checklist identifies the required forms and supporting documents needed to apply for licensing and certification. The provider instructions are a resource to guide you through the process. The Sample Application Packet is a visual aid that displays a sample of the completed forms contained in the application packet.

Please refer to the following links to get started:

Where to Submit Applications

Please click here to submit an Initial, Change of Ownership, or Report of Change on the GACH/APH online application system. Refer to the Online GACH/APH Application web page for additional information or contact CABHospitals@cdph.ca.gov

Submit completed application packets to the CAB at the address listed below.  Do not send any completed application packets, forms, or supporting documents to the local CDPH, District Office.

          California Department of Public Health
          Licensing and Certification Program
          Centralized Applications Branch
          P.O. Box 997377, MS 3207
          Sacramento, CA 95899-7377

Page Last Updated :