Title 70 — Title 70 PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Ambulatory surgical facility" means any distinct entity that operates for the primary purpose of providing specialty or multispecialty outpatient surgical services in …

The secretary shall:(1) Issue a license to any ambulatory surgical facility that:(a) Submits payment of the fee established in RCW 43.70.110 and 43.70.250;(b) Submits a completed application that demonstrates the ability to comply with the standards established for operating and …

Except as provided in RCW 70.230.040, after June 30, 2009, no person or governmental unit of the state of Washington, acting separately or jointly with any other person or governmental unit, shall establish, maintain, or conduct an ambulatory surgical facility in this state or ad…

Nothing in this chapter:(1) Applies to an ambulatory surgical facility that is maintained and operated by a hospital licensed under chapter 70.41 RCW;(2) Applies to an office maintained for the practice of dentistry;(3) Applies to outpatient specialty or multispecialty surgical s…

(1) An applicant for a license to operate an ambulatory surgical facility must demonstrate the ability to comply with the standards established for operating and maintaining an ambulatory surgical facility in statute and rule, including:(a) Submitting a written application to the…

An ambulatory surgical facility shall have a facility safety and emergency training program. The program shall include:(1) On-site equipment, medication, and trained personnel to facilitate handling of services sought or provided and to facilitate the management of any medical em…

(1) The department is authorized to take any of the actions identified in this section against an ambulatory surgical facility's license or provisional license in any case in which it finds that there has been a failure or refusal to comply with the requirements of this chapter o…

(1) Every ambulatory surgical facility shall maintain a coordinated quality improvement program for the improvement of the quality of health care services rendered to patients and the identification and prevention of medical malpractice. The program shall include at least the fol…

The department shall establish and adopt such minimum standards and rules pertaining to the construction, maintenance, and operation of ambulatory surgical facilities and rescind, amend, or modify such rules, as are necessary in the public interest, and particularly for the estab…

(1) The department shall make or cause to be made a survey of all ambulatory surgical facilities according to the following frequency:(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, an ambulatory surgical facility must be surveyed by the department no more than once every eight…

The department shall require ambulatory surgical facilities to submit data related to the quality of patient care for review by the department. The data shall be submitted every eighteen months. The department shall consider the reporting standards of other public and private org…

(1) The chief administrator or executive officer of an ambulatory surgical facility shall report to the department when the practice of a health care provider licensed by a disciplining authority under RCW 18.130.040 is restricted, suspended, limited, or terminated based upon a c…

Each ambulatory surgical facility shall keep written records of decisions to restrict or terminate privileges of practitioners. Copies of such records shall be made available to the Washington medical commission, the board of osteopathic medicine and surgery, or the podiatric med…

(1) Prior to granting or renewing clinical privileges or association of any practitioner or hiring a practitioner, an ambulatory surgical facility approved pursuant to this chapter shall request from the practitioner and the practitioner shall provide the following information:(a…

Ambulatory surgical facilities shall have in place policies to assure that, when appropriate, information about unanticipated outcomes is provided to patients or their families or any surrogate decision makers identified pursuant to RCW 7.70.065. Notifications of unanticipated ou…

Every ambulatory surgical facility shall post in conspicuous locations a notice of the department's ambulatory surgical facility complaint toll-free telephone number. The form of the notice shall be approved by the department.[ 2007 c 273 s 17.]

Information received by the department through filed reports, inspection, or as otherwise authorized under this chapter may be disclosed publicly, as permitted under chapter 42.56 RCW, subject to the following provisions:(1) Licensing inspections, or complaint investigations rega…

Any entity that meets the definition of an ambulatory surgical facility in RCW 70.230.010 that had been issued a license on or after July 1, 2009, that was later declared void by a department determination that the entity did not meet the definition of an ambulatory surgical faci…

(1) The department may give written notice to cease and desist to any person whom the department has reason to believe is engaged in the unlicensed operation of an ambulatory surgical facility.(2)(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the requirement to cease and desis…

If the insurance commissioner reports to the department that he or she has cause to believe that an ambulatory surgical facility has engaged in a pattern of violations of RCW 48.49.020 or 48.49.030 or has violated RCW 48.43.732, and the report is substantiated after investigation…

(1) Beginning September 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, individuals that hold a multistate nurse license issued by a state other than Washington and are employed by ambulatory surgical facilities licensed under this chapter shall complete any demographic data surveys required b…

Except for section 7 of this act, this act takes effect July 1, 2009.[ 2007 c 273 s 29.]

The secretary of health may take the necessary steps to ensure that this act is implemented on its effective date.[ 2007 c 273 s 30.]