A Florida office surgery center’s suspension: unqualified anesthesiologists, state says
An Ocala office surgery center won’t be operating on anyone most of July during a three-week suspension announced Friday in a final order from the Florida Department of Health.
Whether you call the surgery center “Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgical Assoc.” (the name on license No. OSR1560) or “Surgical Specialists of Ocala,” (the name on the business), an administrative complaint says a July 2021 inspection of 1920 SW 20th Pl., Suite 100, “revealed that paramedics were providing anesthesia care.”
Florida administrative law says in an office surgery center, the surgeon has to be assisted by a qualified anesthesia provider who must be an anesthesiologist, certified registered nurse anesthesist or qualified physician assistant. If the surgeon is certified for Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, a registered nurse can do the assisting.
Officially, Cardiothoracic neither admits nor denies the allegation. But the company reached a settlement agreement that suspends them for 21 days beginning June 30.
