Florida Statutes
Chapter 459 - Osteopathic Medicine
459.0138 - Office Surgeries.

(1) REGISTRATION.—
(a) An office in which a physician performs a liposuction procedure in which more than 1,000 cubic centimeters of supernatant fat is removed, a Level II office surgery, or a Level III office surgery must register with the department unless the office is licensed as a facility under chapter 390 or chapter 395.
(b) By January 1, 2020, each office registered under this section or s. 458.328 must designate a physician who is responsible for the office’s compliance with the office health and safety requirements of this section and rules adopted hereunder. A designated physician must have a full, active, and unencumbered license under this chapter or chapter 458 and shall practice at the office for which he or she has assumed responsibility. Within 10 calendar days after the termination of a designated physician relationship, the office must notify the department of the designation of another physician to serve as the designated physician. The department may suspend a registration for an office if the office fails to comply with the requirements of this paragraph.
(c) As a condition of registration, each office must establish financial responsibility by demonstrating that it has met and continues to maintain, at a minimum, the same requirements applicable to physicians in ss. 458.320 and 459.0085. Each physician practicing at an office registered under this section or s. 458.328 must meet the financial responsibility requirements under s. 458.320 or s. 459.0085, as applicable.
(d) Each physician practicing at an office registered under this section or s. 458.328 shall advise the board, in writing, within 10 calendar days after beginning or ending his or her practice at the registered office.
(e) The department shall inspect a registered office at least annually, including a review of patient records, to ensure that the office is in compliance with this section and rules adopted hereunder unless the office is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency approved by the board. The inspection may be unannounced, except for the inspection of an office that meets the description of clinic specified in s. 459.0137(1)(a)3.h., and those wholly owned and operated physician offices described in s. 459.0137(1)(a)3.g. which perform procedures referenced in s. 459.0137(1)(a)3.h., which must be announced.
(f) The department may suspend or revoke the registration of an office in which a procedure or surgery identified in paragraph (a) is performed for failure of any of its physicians, owners, or operators to comply with this section and rules adopted hereunder or s. 458.328 and rules adopted thereunder. If an office’s registration is revoked for any reason, the department may deny any person named in the registration documents of the office, including the persons who own or operate the office, individually or as part of a group, from registering an office to perform procedures or office surgeries pursuant to this section or s. 458.328 for 5 years after the revocation date.
(g) The department may impose any penalty set forth in s. 456.072(2) against the designated physician for failure of the office to operate in compliance with the office health and safety requirements of this section and rules adopted hereunder or s. 458.328 and rules adopted thereunder.
(h) A physician may only perform a procedure or surgery identified in paragraph (a) in an office that is registered with the department. The board shall impose a fine of $5,000 per day on a physician who performs a procedure or surgery in an office that is not registered with the department.
(i) The actual costs of registration and inspection or accreditation shall be paid by the person seeking to register and operate the office in which a procedure or surgery identified in paragraph (a) will be performed.

(2) RULEMAKING.—
(a) The board shall adopt by rule standards of practice for physicians who perform procedures or office surgeries pursuant to this section.
(b) The board may adopt rules to administer the registration, inspection, and safety of offices in which a physician performs procedures or office surgeries pursuant to this section.

History.—s. 6, ch. 2019-130.