On June 21, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a new piece of legislation, known as Reuben’s Rules, that requires ASCs to provide patients with more transparency, The Clinton Herald reported July 14.
The law requires ASCs to disclose to all patients what lifesaving measures they offer when a patient is undergoing surgery and experiences a medical crisis.
Reuben's Rules is named after Reuben Van Veldhuizen, a child in Oskaloosa, Iowa, who died during a routine procedure at an ASC.
"We want people to know, when you go to a surgery center, there's things that are different there than when you go to a hospital, what they can do and what they can't do," Scott Van Veldhuizen, Reuben's father, told The Clinton Herald.
The law also requires that all ASCs inform patients how close they are to the nearest hospital, along with what lifesaving measures the ASC is equipped for.
"Most people don't realize the difference between an ambulatory surgical center and a hospital,” Iowa State Rep. Holly Brink, an advocate for Reuben's Rules, told The Clinton Herald. "When you hear 'ambulatory surgical center,' you just think they have an ambulance. They have everything. They're not set up the same."
Reuben's family is still fighting for more ASC legislation, including a bill allowing detailed inspections of ASCs.