Welcome to Practice in Florida: A Compliance Guide for Newly Registered Office Surgery Facilities

Compliance Guide for New Florida Office Surgery Registrations

At Howell, Buchan & Strong, we congratulate you on receiving your Florida Office Surgery Registration, a major milestone for any health care provider. We also understand that this moment comes with stress and responsibility. While caring for your patients remains the top priority, maintaining your facility’s compliance with Florida regulations is critical to your continued operation.

This guide outlines the key compliance requirements for newly registered Office Surgery Facilities in Florida, helping you protect your license, your patients, and your practice.

The Florida Board of Medicine now manages Office Surgery Registration. We’ve broken down the most important compliance areas you need to focus on:

1. Registration Updates

The Designated Physician is responsible for reporting any changes to the Florida Board of Medicine within the required timeframe. This includes:

• New or departing physicians, surgeons, staff, or the Designated Physician

• Any facility information changes

Send updates to: pmc_osr@flhealth.gov

2. Staff Credentials

All staff involved in surgical care must hold current certifications in Basic Life Support (BLS) or Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) from approved providers. Certifications must not expire, schedule recertifications before the expiration date.

Approved certification providers include:

• American Heart Association

• American Red Cross

• American Safety and Health Institute

• Pacific Medical Training

• ACLS Certification Institute

Send updated certifications, staff privileges, and transfer agreements to: pmc_osr@flhealth.gov

3. Risk Management Program

Conduct quarterly risk management meetings at your facility and maintain written minutes on file. These meetings should review:

• Any adverse incidents

• Risk mitigation strategies

4. Adverse Incident Reporting

The Designated Physician must report all adverse incidents to the Florida Department of Health within 15 days of occurrence.

Report using the official forms:

• Florida Board of Medicine (MDs)

• Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs)

5. Crash Cart & Equipment Checks

• Monitor medications for expiration and reorder in advance

• Document any delays or shortages in obtaining required drugs

• Inspect equipment regularly and maintain per the manufacturer’s guidelines

• Repair or replace faulty equipment immediately

6. Surgical Logs

Maintain detailed surgical logs including:

• Patient identifiers

• Procedure dates and times

• Names of surgeons and anesthesia providers

• Adverse incidents (if any)

Logs must be retained for 6 years and made available during inspections unless your facility is nationally accredited.

View sample logs available here under “Applications and Forms”

7. Financial Responsibility

All physicians, surgeons, and facilities performing procedures, especially gluteal fat grafting, must maintain proof of financial responsibility. Updates must be reported to the Board.

Find the required financial responsibility forms here:

• Facility forms

• Physician forms (MD)

• Physician forms (DO)

8. Consider National Accreditation

Accreditation is optional, but highly recommended. It:

• Strengthens your compliance framework

• May exempt you from annual inspections

• Protects your practice from enforcement risks

Approved accrediting bodies:

• American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF)

• Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC)

• Joint Commission (JCAHO)

• American Accreditation Commission International (AACI)

Final Thoughts: Stay Organized, Stay Protected

• Keep digital and physical copies of all submitted documents

• Set calendar reminders for renewal deadlines

• When in doubt, consult with a health care attorney

Our team at Howell, Buchan & Strong has deep experience in Florida health care regulation. If you’re unsure about your compliance obligations or face an inspection or enforcement action, we can help you respond quickly and effectively.