New Jersey Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers Lauds New ‘One Room’ Now Signed into Law
TRENTON, N.J. (PRWEB) March 01, 2018 -- The New Jersey Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (“NJAASC”) is lauding a new law that unifies the standards that both licensed ambulatory surgery centers and registered surgical practices (commonly referred to as “One Rooms”) must now meet when operating in New Jersey. The Bill, S-287/A-4995, which NJAASC has long supported, was signed into law by Governor Christie in January.
Under the new law, registered surgical practices would now be required to obtain NJDOH licensure, but they would be exempt from current physical plant standards, as well as the ambulatory care facility assessment and licensing fees. These features were specifically included in order to minimize the burden on registered surgical practices associated with licensure.
From a regulatory perspective, oversight would switch from the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners to New Jersey Department of Health (“NJDOH”), which already has had oversight for licensed facilities.
According to NJAASC President Jeff Shanton, “This new law is important for two reasons. First, New Jersey now has a uniform standard for ambulatory surgical facilities. In addition, NJDOH is more experienced and better staffed to oversee all ambulatory surgical facilities.
“This New law also brings some much needed financial relief to the ASC industry in New Jersey,” Shanton added.
Specifically, the new law now permits combinations among registered surgical practices and licensed facilities, which would create some liquidity in the market, something desperately needed in light of the Codey Law moratorium on the development of new surgery centers. In addition, hospitals can also now affiliate with these registered surgical practices.
About NJAASC
The New Jersey Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (NJAASC) is an incorporated, non-profit organization which was founded in 1992 by owners of ambulatory surgery centers. Its mission is to promote and advance the efforts of New Jersey's ambulatory surgery centers in the delivery of optimum patient care in a cost effective manner. It offers information, educational and networking opportunities for everyone associated with the ASC industry; provides advocacy on issues affecting its members; monitors state and federal legislation, and interacts with the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) on state and federal issues. For more information, visit http://www.njaasc.org.
Nina Dietrich, Nina Dietrich LLC, +1 (201) 493-8944, [email protected]
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