Section 3702.30 | Ambulatory surgical facilities.
(A) As used in this section:
(1) "Ambulatory surgical facility" means a facility, whether or not part of the same organization as a hospital, that is located in a building distinct from another in which inpatient care is provided, and to which any of the following apply:
(a) Outpatient surgery is routinely performed in the facility, and the facility functions separately from a hospital's inpatient surgical service and from the offices of private physicians, podiatrists, and dentists.
(b) Anesthesia is administered in the facility by an anesthesiologist or certified registered nurse anesthetist, and the facility functions separately from a hospital's inpatient surgical service and from the offices of private physicians, podiatrists, and dentists.
(c) The facility applies to be certified by the United States centers for medicare and medicaid services as an ambulatory surgical center for purposes of reimbursement under Part B of the medicare program, Part B of Title XVIII of the "Social Security Act," 79 Stat. 286 (1965), 42 U.S.C.A. 1395, as amended.
(d) The facility applies to be certified by a national accrediting body approved by the centers for medicare and medicaid services for purposes of deemed compliance with the conditions for participating in the medicare program as an ambulatory surgical center.
(e) The facility bills or receives from any third-party payer, governmental health care program, or other person or government entity any ambulatory surgical facility fee that is billed or paid in addition to any fee for professional services.
(f) The facility is held out to any person or government entity as an ambulatory surgical facility or similar facility by means of signage, advertising, or other promotional efforts.
"Ambulatory surgical facility" does not include a hospital emergency department.
(2) "Ambulatory surgical facility fee" means a fee for certain overhead costs associated with providing surgical services in an outpatient setting. A fee is an ambulatory surgical facility fee only if it directly or indirectly pays for costs associated with any of the following:
(a) Use of operating and recovery rooms, preparation areas, and waiting rooms and lounges for patients and relatives;
(b) Administrative functions, record keeping, housekeeping, utilities, and rent;
(c) Services provided by nurses, pharmacists, orderlies, technical personnel, and others involved in patient care related to providing surgery.
"Ambulatory surgical facility fee" does not include any additional payment in excess of a professional fee that is provided to encourage physicians, podiatrists, and dentists to perform certain surgical procedures in their office or their group practice's office rather than a health care facility, if the purpose of the additional fee is to compensate for additional cost incurred in performing office-based surgery.
(3) "Governmental health care program" has the same meaning as in section 4731.65 of the Revised Code.
(4) "Health care facility" means any of the following:
(a) An ambulatory surgical facility;
(b) A freestanding dialysis center;
(c) A freestanding inpatient rehabilitation facility;
(d) A freestanding birthing center;
(e) A freestanding radiation therapy center;
(f) A freestanding or mobile diagnostic imaging center.
(5) "Third-party payer" has the same meaning as in section 3901.38 of the Revised Code.
(B) By rule adopted in accordance with sections 3702.12 and 3702.13 of the Revised Code, the director of health shall establish quality standards for health care facilities. The standards may incorporate accreditation standards or other quality standards established by any entity recognized by the director.
In the case of an ambulatory surgical facility, the standards shall require the ambulatory surgical facility to maintain an infection control program. The purposes of the program are to minimize infections and communicable diseases and facilitate a functional and sanitary environment consistent with standards of professional practice. To achieve these purposes, ambulatory surgical facility staff managing the program shall create and administer a plan designed to prevent, identify, and manage infections and communicable diseases; ensure that the program is directed by a qualified professional trained in infection control; ensure that the program is an integral part of the ambulatory surgical facility's quality assessment and performance improvement program; and implement in an expeditious manner corrective and preventive measures that result in improvement.
(C) Every ambulatory surgical facility shall require that each physician who practices at the facility comply with all relevant provisions in the Revised Code that relate to the obtaining of informed consent from a patient.
(D) The director shall issue a license to each health care facility that makes application for a license and demonstrates to the director that it meets the quality standards established by the rules adopted under division (B) of this section and satisfies the informed consent compliance requirements specified in division (C) of this section.
(E)(1) Except as provided in division (H) of this section and in section 3702.301 of the Revised Code, no health care facility shall operate without a license issued under this section.
(2) If the department of health finds that a physician who practices at a health care facility is not complying with any provision of the Revised Code related to the obtaining of informed consent from a patient, the department shall report its finding to the state medical board, the physician, and the health care facility.
(3) This division does not create, and shall not be construed as creating, a new cause of action or substantive legal right against a health care facility and in favor of a patient who allegedly sustains harm as a result of the failure of the patient's physician to obtain informed consent from the patient prior to performing a procedure on or otherwise caring for the patient in the health care facility.
(F) The rules adopted under division (B) of this section shall include all of the following:
(1) Provisions governing application for, renewal, suspension, and revocation of a license under this section;
(2) Provisions governing orders issued pursuant to section 3702.32 of the Revised Code for a health care facility to cease its operations or to prohibit certain types of services provided by a health care facility;
(3) Provisions governing the imposition under section 3702.32 of the Revised Code of civil penalties for violations of this section or the rules adopted under this section, including a scale for determining the amount of the penalties;
(4) Provisions specifying the form inspectors must use when conducting inspections of ambulatory surgical facilities.
(G) An ambulatory surgical facility that performs or induces abortions shall comply with section 3701.791 of the Revised Code.
(H) The following entities are not required to obtain a license as a freestanding diagnostic imaging center issued under this section:
(1) A hospital registered under section 3701.07 of the Revised Code that provides diagnostic imaging;
(2) An entity that is reviewed as part of a hospital accreditation or certification program and that provides diagnostic imaging;
(3) An ambulatory surgical facility that provides diagnostic imaging in conjunction with or during any portion of a surgical procedure.
Available Versions of this Section
- September 29, 2013 – House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly [ View September 29, 2013 Version ]
- April 5, 2019 – Amended by Senate Bill 265 - 132nd General Assembly [ View April 5, 2019 Version ]
- October 17, 2019 – Amended by House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly [ View October 17, 2019 Version ]
- September 30, 2024 – Amended by House Bill 110 - 134th General Assembly [ View September 30, 2024 Version ]