California Department of Public Health (CDPH) offices will be closed New Year’s Day, January 1, 2010. CDPH offices will be closed three Fridays per month January 2010 through June 2010 due to the Governor's furlough orders.

Health care facilities in California are licensed, regulated, inspected, and/or certified by a number of public and private agencies at the state and federal levels, including the California Department of Pulic Health (CDPH) Licensing and Certification Program (L&C) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). These agencies have separate -- yet sometimes overlapping -- jurisdictions.  L&C is responsible for ensuring health care facilities comply with state laws and regulations. In addition, L&C cooperates with CMS to ensure that facilities accepting Medicare and Medi-Cal (in California, Medicaid is referred to as Medi-Cal) payments meet federal requirements. L&C also oversees the certification of nurse assistants, home health aides, hemodialysis technicians, and the licensing of nursing home administrators.