Entity & Ownership
Form a California entity, register with the Secretary of State, and identify the Administrator of record for CDPH.
- California Entity Formation (Secretary of State)
- Administrator of Record
A lifecycle, not another quiz
Your California PDHC startup roadmap.
The 13 readiness domains behind the readiness check — move from idea to operating center through five phases, each domain sourced from the same content pack that powers the check.
Explore
Define the opportunity
Program model, founder posture, entity, market, and early feasibility.
No standalone domain is assigned here in the current pack. Cross-domain launch actions still appear in the readiness result.
Establish
Build the foundation
Entity, leadership, facility, financing, and application readiness.
Facility & Physical Plant
California PDHC facilities must meet Title 22 physical-plant requirements. Engage a California-licensed architect early to design against the regulation set rather than retrofitting after the fact.
- Site Selection + Zoning
- Architect Review Against Title 22
License & enroll
Clear the gates
Licensure, Medicaid enrollment, payer setup, and required leadership.
CDPH Licensing
The California PDHC license is issued by CDPH Licensing & Certification. License-first, Medi-Cal-enrollment-second — the sequence cannot be reversed.
- CDPH PDHC Application Packet
- Personnel Background Screening (LiveScan + TB)
- Adverse-History Review
Medical Director Readiness
California PDHC requires a Medical Director with clinical oversight of every attending child. Plan the role's authority, cadence, and policy-setting responsibilities before opening.
- Medical Director — Board-Certified Pediatrician
Medical Records Readiness
Title 22 sets PDHC medical-record content and retention requirements. Record design must satisfy both CDPH licensing standards and DHCS Medi-Cal billing-documentation requirements layered on top.
- Nursing Protocol of Care
- Medical Record Content and Retention
Medi-Cal Enrollment
Medi-Cal PDHC enrollment runs through DHCS via the Provider Application and Validation for Enrollment (PAVE) system. CDPH PDHC license must be issued before enrollment can complete.
- DHCS PAVE Enrollment
- NPI (CMS NPPES) Pre-Requisite
Build operations
Make care executable
Nursing, therapy, admissions, documentation, authorizations, and evidence.
Nursing Operations Readiness
Title 22 sets DON qualifications and PDHC staffing-ratio requirements. Plan staffing around the ratio table before opening.
- Director of Nursing (DON) Qualifications
- Title 22 PDHC Staffing Ratios
Admissions Readiness
Admissions to a California PDHC require physician prescription, ongoing physician care, written parent/guardian consent, and pre-admission planning by Medical Director and DON.
- PDHC Admission Requirements
Open & improve
Run survey-ready
First admissions, billing evidence, quality, compliance, and operating cadence.
Operations / QA Readiness
California PDHC requires a structured Quality Assurance / Quality Improvement program. Design committee composition, cadence, and record-review scope before opening.
- QA/QI Committee Design
Authorization / Payer Readiness (CCS)
California PDHC services are typically authorized through the California Children's Services (CCS) program. CCS paneling and treatment authorization requests (TARs) are part of the operating model.
- California Children's Services (CCS) Paneling
- Authorization Approval ≠ Payment
Billing Evidence Readiness
California PDHC bills Medi-Cal under DHCS coverage policy. Service codes and rates come from the DHCS Medi-Cal Provider Manual — verify current rates directly with DHCS before pro-forma planning.
- DHCS PDHC Coverage and Rate Verification
- Daily Documentation → Billing Evidence
Survey / Inspection Readiness
CDPH conducts initial and subsequent PDHC inspections. Survey readiness requires engagement with qualified PDHC consultants, legal counsel, and clinical leadership.
- CDPH Initial and Subsequent Inspections
- Plan of Correction (POC) Workflow
Systems / Software Readiness
No specific software system is required to obtain a California PDHC license. Founders should evaluate systems against their specific operating model and Title 22 + DHCS documentation requirements.
- PDHC-Native vs. Generic EHR Choice
Make it personal
Check my readiness
Place your organization on the roadmap.
The readiness check converts this generic lifecycle into strengths, gaps, and immediate next actions.