Policyholder Services

Does OMIC require that our employees be certified in CPR?

To be eligible for coverage, an outpatient surgical facility must comply with the company’s underwriting and risk management requirements applicable to such facilities, including life support certification. If anesthesia providers are present, healthcare providers must have at least Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers certification; advanced certification (ACLS, PALS) is recommended. If no anesthesia providers are present and the patient is receiving moderate sedation (including any pediatric sedation), the physician and monitoring personnel must be ACLS/PALS certified. Personnel skilled in pediatric airway management and cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be present for all procedures performed on children.

While certification requirements apply with respect to coverage of outpatient surgical facilities, OMIC does not require certification as a condition of coverage of an ophthalmologist and his or her employees. From a risk management and quality of care perspective, however, CPR certification is recommended. Demographics of the patient population should be taken into consideration, and the office should maintain training and emergency equipment that they feel is necessary to respond to any potential events. If surgery is performed in the office, patient safety requires that a physician conduct a careful analysis and inventory of necessary medical equipment and medication. Certain surgical procedures may require that the physician be trained and certified in CPR and have access to emergency equipment and medication. In addition, office personnel may need to take additional training to improve their skills and obtain certification demonstrating they can assist during the procedure. OMIC addresses these and other related risk management issues in “Office-Based Surgery for Adults.”

Information on BLS for Healthcare Providers courses given by the American Heart Association is available at www.americanheart.org.