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Qualifications to Become a DPCS in California Home Health & Hospice

December 6th, 2024

5 min read

By Abigail Karl

A Director of Patient Care Services (DPCS) reviews patient charts.

Are you struggling to find the right person to supervise patient care in your home health (HH) or hospice agency (HSP)? A Director of Patient Care Services (DPCS) is a crucial and required leadership role focused on overseeing all clinical aspects of patient care. While it may seem similar to other leadership positions in an agency, the DPCS is specifically responsible for ensuring that patient care is managed effectively, safely, and in compliance with state and federal healthcare regulations.

At The Home Health Consultant (THC), we’ve spent years working with home health and hospice agencies to improve their patient care processes, making us uniquely qualified to guide you through this important decision.

In this article, we’ll outline the core responsibilities and qualifications of a DPCS, while helping you identify what makes a candidate the best fit for your agency. By the end, you’ll feel empowered to take actionable steps toward hiring the most qualified person to ensure your agency’s success.

What Does a DPCS Do?

A director of patient care services (DPCS) reviews a Plan of Care with a clinician.

A DPCS is responsible for ensuring the effective and compliant delivery of patient care, sometimes even without directly interacting with patients. They play a key supervisory role, overseeing how care is delivered big picture, across the board. Their responsibilities include:

  • Overseeing and *sometimes creating patient Plan Of Cares (POC)
    • *A DPCS’s involvement with creating PoCs will depend on an agency’s size. While a DPCS will always be responsible for ensuring PoCs are conducted properly, they will not always be responsible for actually creating them
  • *Leading interdisciplinary meetings to review and adjust care plans
    • This applies to a DCPS working at hospice agencies only
  • Ensuring compliance with state and federal healthcare regulations
  • Overseeing and/or conducting competency reviews to ensure clinical staff meet quality standards
  • Monitoring patient outcomes to ensure the effectiveness of care plans
  • Supervising and supporting clinical staff to maintain proper patient care standards

In home health and hospice care, where patients receive treatment in their homes, the DPCS ensures that high-quality care is delivered consistently and that staff members are prepared to provide the best possible care in each unique environment.

California Qualifications for a HH or HSP Director of Patient Care Services (DPCS)

Choosing the right DPCS for your agency is critical. The qualifications for this role vary slightly by state, but certain core requirements remain consistent. Here’s what you need for a DPCS in California:

1. Registered Nurse (RN) or Higher Medical Professional: The DPCS must be an RN with a professional license or, in some cases, a doctor. For example, in California, a DPCS must be an RN, although a doctor can also qualify.

2. A 10 Year Resume: In California, a DPCS applicant must include all of the following information on their 10 year resume:

  • Start & end dates of each job they've held within the past 10 years
  • Each job title
  • Names of each employer
  • Addresses of each employer

3. Supervisory Experience: A DPCS must have healthcare supervisory experience. This includes managing staff, overseeing QAPI, and conducting assessments. It goes beyond day-to-day management to include responsibilities such as hiring, firing, clinical competency assessments, and performance reviews.

4. Clinical Experience: The DPCS must have several years of clinical experience. California requires the following based on education level: 



  • Associate’s Degree: 4 years as an RN, 4 years of healthcare experience (within the last 5 years), and 1 year in a supervisory role
  • Bachelor’s Degree: 3 years as an RN, 3 years of healthcare experience (within the last 5 years), and 1 year in a supervisory role

A chart depicting the educational requirements for DPCS in home health and hospice agencies.

5. California Title 22 Requirements: Title 22 is essentially a list of conditions that have to be met to ensure your agency maintains processes and procedures to deliver the highest quality of patient care, as a condition of maintaining licensure in California. 

6. Background Check: In the state of California, for home health only, all key members of staff are required to undergo a background check. This requirement will vary depending on the state the agency operates in. 

For this background check to be completed, the applicant must undergo a digital fingerprinting process. In California, the background checks are conducted through Live Scan. Live Scan then sends the results of the background check to the appropriate governing body, which will approve or deny your applicant depending on the results. In California, a DPCS cannot have direct contact with patients until their background check is cleared. 

7. California Department of Public Health Approval: In California, agencies must submit mandatory positions for approval with the health department. This means the California Department of Public Health must be notified when a new DPCS is hired. Agencies can have a vacancy in this position for up to 30 days, and have 10 calendar days to report the new hire. 

The application includes a 10 year resume, demonstrating that the position requirements have been met. In home health, agencies don't need to submit their DPCS Designees for approval, but in hospice they do. The application process can take months, so the new hire is considered probationary until officially approved and registered under that agency. Unreported changes in this position can lead to severe consequences, including conditional deficiencies. 


Home Health vs. Hospice: Are There Differences in DPCS Qualifications?

While there are no officially written differences in the qualifications for a DPCS in home health versus hospice care, some unwritten distinctions exist. 

For example, hospice care often involves more specialized knowledge of end-of-life care, whereas home health covers a broader range of medical conditions. However, the core qualifications remain the same: being an RN or doctor with supervisory experience and a strong background in clinical care.

Why Supervisory Experience is Essential for a DPCS

One key aspect of the DPCS role is its focus on supervisory responsibilities, which differ significantly from the day-to-day tasks of a manager. If a DPCS applicant only has managerial experience, this is often not enough to qualify for the position. Supervisors handle big-picture tasks such as budgeting, staffing, and policy enforcement. They deal with issues on the organizational or departmental level, while managers typically work with individuals.

This is critical because home health and hospice agencies operate much like mobile mini-hospitals. The DPCS is often the top-level decision-maker ensuring that clinical services are properly managed and compliant with healthcare standards.

Compliance & Your DPCS Designee

To pass your California Licensure Survey, there are a few boxes involving the DPCS you need to check. The California Licensure survey is conducted by one of three national accreditors:

  • Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
  • Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP)
  • The Joint Commission (TJC)

While the state requirements for surveys stay the same, each national accreditor (ACHC, CHAP, or TJC) has their own additional requirements. These additional requirements differ for each national accreditor. 

To pass your California Licensure Survey, you must appoint a designee for your Director of Patient Care Services (DPCS). A DPCS designee is another person with the same qualifications as a DPCS you hire as, essentially, an understudy. If something were to happen to your DPCS and they suddenly became unavailable, you’re protected and compliant by having a DPCS designee ready to fill in.

During hours of operation the DPCS and/or designee must be available:

  • At your office

OR 

  • Immediately available through call, text, or email 

There is no limit for the number of agencies a person can be a designee for. While it is possible for a person to be a DPCS for multiple agencies, it is up to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to determine if the DPCS is able to distribute their time between multiple agencies. There are no official guidelines on how many or how few hours a DPCS must log to meet the criteria. 

Why Your Agency Needs a Qualified DPCS

A director of patient care services (DPCS) reviews hospice agency files to ensure compliance with state and federal healthcare regulations.

The DPCS plays a pivotal role in maintaining quality patient care and ensuring compliance with all state and federal regulations. Without a qualified DPCS, your agency risks falling out of compliance, delivering substandard care, and facing potential fines or even a shut down.

By hiring a qualified DPCS, you ensure that your home health or hospice agency operates efficiently, provides excellent patient care, and stays compliant with regulations—ultimately helping your business thrive. If you’re unsure how to navigate the hiring process, and don’t want to waste valuable time and money on constant staff change applications, consider consulting with experts to ensure you make the right decision.

*This article was written in consultation with Mariam Treystman & Kelly McCarthy.