N.J. Assemblyman Herb Conaway Jr., MD (D-Burlington County), the only physician in the New Jersey Legislature, has introduced legislation that would require licensing for one-operating room surgery centers, according to Jeffrey Shanton, chair of the advocacy and legislative affairs committee for the New Jersey Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers.
If passed, this legislation (SB 4099) would require a surgical practice in operation on the date of enactment of the law to be licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health as an ASC within one year of the date of enactment, but the organization would not be subject to an assessment or regulations of the commissioner pertaining to physical plant and functional requirements for an ambulatory care facility, according to Mr. Shanton.
It is different from a similar bill recently sponsored by Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex). Sen. Vitale's bill calls for the surgery centers to meet physical plant requirements, whereas Assemblyman Conaway's bill does not.
Sen. Vitale's amended bill, while waiving ambulatory assessment for these one-room centers, does not 'grandfather' in physical plant requirements but leaves it up to DOH to decide on a case by case basis, upon appeal by a center, according to Mr. Shanton.
There are presently more than 100 unlicensed surgery centers with only one OR in New Jersey, according to earlier reports.
"NJAASC is currently working with Sen. Vitale, and we are confident all parties will get the legislation to the point where it is acceptable to everyone," says Mr. Shanton.
Learn more about the New Jersey Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers.
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