License for a Multispecialty Medical Center

Today, multidisciplinary medical centers are one of the most popular formats for conducting medical business in Ukraine. Patients increasingly choose clinics where they can receive consultations from doctors of various specialties, undergo diagnostics, take tests, and receive comprehensive treatment all in one place.

However, opening a multidisciplinary medical center and obtaining a medical license significantly differs from licensing an individual medical office. The more medical specialties an institution plans to practice, the more requirements the law imposes on the premises, material and technical base, personnel, and organization of work.

That is why, even before registering the business and starting renovations, it is worth determining the future structure of the medical center, the list of specialties, and verifying the compliance of all planned solutions with the requirements of the Licensing Conditions for economic activities in medical practice. For guaranteed success, it is recommended to involve specialized legal services for medical business.

What is considered a multidisciplinary medical center

Current legislation does not contain a separate definition of the term “multidisciplinary medical center”. However, in practice, such an institution is considered a business entity that conducts medical practice simultaneously in several medical specialties and can provide various types of medical care.

For example, the following can work in one medical center:

• general practitioner / physician;
• cardiologist;
• gynecologist;
• endocrinologist;
• dermatovenereologist;
• neurologist;
• ultrasound diagnostics specialist;
• treatment / manipulation room;
• laboratory diagnostics.

It is the combination of several areas of medical activity that makes the licensing procedure for a medical center more comprehensive, as each specialty has its own requirements for staffing, office equipment, and the organization of the treatment process.

How licensing a multidisciplinary medical center differs from licensing a medical office

While opening a single medical office requires meeting the requirements for only one specific medical specialty, a multidisciplinary medical center actually combines several separate areas of activity.

This means that requirements must be taken into account regarding:

• each declared medical specialty;
• the area and functional purpose of each office (in accordance with DBN building codes);
• material and technical equipment;
• medical equipment and availability of documents for it;
• qualifications of each doctor;
• nursing / paramedical staff;
• organizational structure of the institution.

In addition, for legal entities, it is necessary to correctly determine the management structure of the institution, including providing for the position of a medical director if the organizational model of activity requires it. A consultation with a medical lawyer at this stage allows avoiding refusals from the Ministry of Health.

Where to start when opening a multidisciplinary medical center

Practice shows that the most important decisions are made even before submitting an application for a Ministry of Health license for medical practice. First of all, it is necessary to determine:

• the legal form of activity (Sole Proprietorship / FOP, LLC, or, for example, NGO);
• the list of medical specialties;
• the list of medical services;
• the required medical staff;
• premises that will meet legal requirements and inclusivity standards.

For most multidisciplinary clinics, the optimal legal form is a limited liability company (LLC), as this model allows attracting several doctors of different specialties, scaling activities, and opening new separate units.

It is also important to choose the correct NACE (KVED) codes, in particular:

What Ministry of Health requirements must be met for licensing

One of the most common mistakes is the belief that finding doctors and renting premises is sufficient to obtain a license. In reality, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine assesses the compliance of the entire business model with the requirements of the Licensing Conditions.

Special attention is paid to:

• Compliance of the premises with state building codes (DBN V.2.2-10:2022);
• Availability of necessary offices for each specialty and adherence to square footage;
• Material and technical equipment according to official Equipment Schedules;
• Qualifications of medical staff (diplomas, certificates, CPD points);
• Ensuring accessibility for people with limited mobility (availability of an Office Accessibility / Inclusivity Report);
• Compliance with medical waste management requirements.

In practice, even before starting operations, a medical center must organize a medical waste management system and enter into a contract with a licensed company that collects, transports, and disposes of them. This is an essential component of proper organization of medical activity and one of the issues to pay attention to at the preparation stage for licensing.

What documents are submitted to obtain a Ministry of Health license

To obtain a license to conduct economic activities in medical practice, the following are submitted to the Ministry of Health:

Filling out the Information form requires high precision, as the slightest legal or technical error will lead to a refusal decision or leaving the application without consideration.

Common mistakes when opening a multidisciplinary clinic

Over years of practice, we see that most problems arise even before submitting documents to the Ministry of Health.

Most often, clinic owners:

• choose premises without analyzing their compliance with Licensing Conditions and DBN codes;
• hire doctors without verifying qualifications, education documents, and CPD points;
• incorrectly determine the organizational structure and staffing table of the institution;
• ignore accessibility and barrier-free requirements for premises;
• postpone the issue of medical waste management until operations begin.

Most of these mistakes can be avoided by involving a specialized medical law attorney as early as the project planning stage.

Why choose lawyers from Prikhodko & Partners

Prikhodko & Partners Law Firm offers professional turnkey medical center licensing and supports the opening of multidisciplinary clinics at all stages of project implementation.

We help to:

• determine the optimal medical business model and assess legal risks;
• select NACE (KVED) codes and legal form (LLC or Sole Proprietorship / FOP);
• conduct a legal audit and check premises before starting renovations;
• form a list of medical specialties according to your goals;
• check medical staff documents (diplomas, categories, courses);
• prepare a full package of documents and Information forms for the Ministry of Health without risk of refusal;
• fully support the licensing procedure at the Ministry of Health commission;
• advise on expansion of the medical practice license and making changes to the licensing file.

Our goal is not just to help obtain a medical license, but to create a legally secure operating model for the medical center that will allow developing the business without unnecessary risks and inspections.

Opening a multidisciplinary medical center is a large-scale project that requires flawless document preparation and compliance of premises and personnel with strict legal requirements. Entrust these tasks to the professionals at Prikhodko & Partners Law Firm to avoid Ministry of Health refusals, fines, and delays. Leave a request on the website for expert consultation and comprehensive support!