NAC449.980. Responsibilities of governing body.

The governing body shall ensure that:

     1. Each patient of the center is under the care of a physician.

     2. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, each patient admitted to the center receives a:

     (a) Physical examination, which must include a medical history of the patient, within the 30 days immediately preceding the date of the patient’s surgery; and

     (b) Presurgical evaluation conducted by a physician on the day of the patient’s surgery or within the 7 days immediately preceding the date of the patient’s surgery. A podiatric physician licensed pursuant to chapter 635 of NRS may conduct the presurgical evaluation for a podiatric patient.

     3. A physician is on the premises of the ambulatory surgical center and immediately available at all times when there are patients in the operating rooms or the recovery room of the center. As used in this subsection, “immediately available” means the physician is able to respond rapidly to an emergency.

     4. An annual operating budget and a plan for capital expenditures are established.

     5. The center is adequately staffed and equipped.

     6. There is documentation in the files of the center of:

     (a) The qualifications of all persons employed by or under contract with the center; and

     (b) Whether such persons who work at or are under contract with the center and have exposure to patients have been screened for communicable diseases as described in NAC 441A.375.

     7. The center establishes and maintains a program for the prevention and control of infections and communicable diseases as required pursuant to NAC 449.98452.

     8. The center adopts, enforces and at least annually reviews written policies and procedures required by NAC 449.971 to 449.997, inclusive, including an organizational chart. These policies and procedures must:

     (a) Be approved annually by the governing body.

     (b) Provide that a surgical procedure may be performed on a patient only with the consent of the patient or the patient’s legal representative, except in an emergency.

     (c) Include procedures for the periodic review and amendment, as deemed appropriate, of the scope of the procedures performed at the center.

     (Added to NAC by Bd. of Health, eff. 12-15-88; A by R049-99, 9-27-99; R096-08, 8-26-2008, eff. 10-25-2008; R181-09 & R170-12, 10-4-2013)