Who we serve · Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs)
Workplace Violence Prevention for Ambulatory Surgery Centers
Ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) are a named covered facility class under Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 331. Coverage turns on facility class, not acuity — so a lower-acuity ASC is still required to maintain a written, facility-specific program.
The risk that a generic plan misses in an ASC is front-office and waiting-area conflict, controlled-substance security, and post-procedure disputes. VIGILO delivers full compliance at ASC scale — without a hospital-sized apparatus, at boutique flat-fee pricing.
Where the mandate applies
How Chapter 331 reaches your setting
- Ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs, HSC Chapter 243) are a named covered facility class under HSC Chapter 331.
- Coverage turns on facility class, not acuity — a lower-acuity ASC is still required to maintain a program.
- Required of every covered facility: committee, facility-specific written plan, at-least-annual training, confidential anti-retaliation reporting, post-incident response, and an annual governing-body evaluation.
- A right-sized plan addresses real ASC exposure — front-office and waiting-area conflict and controlled-substance security — not a hospital template.
- Chapter 331 has no fine schedule; enforcement is a licensure-survey deficiency plus post-incident litigation discovery.
Speaking the language of surveyors
The six questions a surveyor will ask — answered
Surveyors follow a tracer: they pull the thread from policy to plan to committee to training to record to corrective action. This module is organized around exactly what they ask, what they review, and what gets a facility cited.
What surveyors ask
- Have you confirmed that your ambulatory surgical center is a named covered facility class under Chapter 331?
- Do you have a written, facility-specific plan — even though an ASC’s lower-acuity profile can make leadership assume the mandate does not apply?
- Is your committee properly composed, including a registered nurse who provides direct patient care and a security-services employee if you employ one?
- Is training delivered at least annually to your perioperative and front-office staff?
- Did you complete the annual plan evaluation reported to your governing body?
What surveyors review
- Confirmation that the ASC is treated as a covered facility under Chapter 331.
- A facility-specific written plan covering your real exposure — front-office and waiting-area conflict, controlled-substance security, and after-procedure disputes.
- Committee charter, roster (confirming the required RN and any security role), and minutes.
- Annual training rosters for clinical and administrative staff.
- The annual plan evaluation and its report to the governing body.
Required documentation
| Document | Why surveyors want it |
|---|---|
| ASC covered-status confirmation | ASCs are a named covered facility class under Ch. 331 |
| Facility-specific written plan | Front-office conflict, controlled-substance security, post-procedure disputes |
| WVP committee charter + membership | Direct-care RN and security-services member where employed |
| Annual training records | Perioperative and front-office staff, at least annually |
| Annual plan evaluation to governing body | The recurring statutory obligation applies to ASCs too |
Common deficiencies
- Assuming the mandate does not apply because an ASC is lower-acuity — ASCs are explicitly a covered facility class.
- No program at all, or an informal one never reduced to a facility-specific written plan.
- A plan that ignores the real ASC exposure: front-office and waiting-area conflict and controlled-substance security.
- Training skipped because the center is small, leaving no annual records.
- The annual governing-body evaluation overlooked entirely.
How to prepare
- Confirm and document that your ASC is a covered facility — do not assume it is exempt.
- Right-size a facility-specific written plan to your real exposure, not a hospital template.
- Compose a compliant committee even at small headcount, including the required direct-care RN.
- Deliver and document annual training for clinical and front-office staff.
- Calendar the annual plan evaluation and report it to your governing body.
How VIGILO helps
VIGILO delivers a right-sized ASC program — full compliance without a hospital-scale apparatus — through the WVP Foundation Package and the Annual Compliance Subscription:
- A documented covered-status determination confirming the ASC is in scope.
- A facility-specific written plan built for the ASC’s real exposure, not a hospital hand-me-down.
- A compliant committee charter with the required direct-care RN and any security role, plus facilitation and minutes.
- Annual and orientation training, English and Spanish, for perioperative and front-office staff.
- The annual plan evaluation prepared and documented to your governing body — every year.
Texas SB 240 compliance
See the full statute breakdown, the covered-facilities matrix, and the implementing rules on our Texas SB 240 compliance hub.
Recommended path
Audit → Foundation → Annual program of record
Survey-Readiness Audit
A scored gap report against the Chapter 331 / 26 TAC §133.55 / PL 2024-10 / Joint Commission checklist.
Flat fee · $500–$1,500
Details →Workplace Violence Prevention Programs
The complete, facility-specific program of record — committee, plan, training, and binder.
Flat fee · $2,500–$6,000
Details →Annual Program Reviews
Your Chapter 331 program of record: annual evaluation, training refresh, and committee support.
Subscription · $1,500–$3,600 / yr per site
Details →Serving every covered healthcare facility class across Texas. See all settings we serve →
Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) compliance FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Are ambulatory surgery centers covered by Texas Chapter 331?
Yes. Ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) are a named covered facility class under Texas HSC Chapter 331. A covered ASC has been required since September 1, 2024 to maintain a written, facility-specific workplace violence prevention program — committee, plan, at-least-annual training, a confidential anti-retaliation reporting policy, post-incident response, and an annual plan evaluation reported to the governing body — checked at licensure survey.
Our ASC is low-acuity — do we really need a workplace violence program?
Yes. Coverage under Chapter 331 turns on facility class, not acuity — ASCs are named explicitly. Lower acuity changes the content of your plan, not whether you need one. A right-sized program addresses real ASC exposure: front-office and waiting-area conflict, controlled-substance security, and post-procedure disputes.
What does an ASC workplace violence committee require?
Under Chapter 331 the committee must include a registered nurse who provides direct patient care, a physician who provides direct care if the facility employs any, and a security-services employee if the facility employs any. An existing committee may be re-authorized to serve this role. VIGILO composes a compliant committee even at small ASC headcount.
How is VIGILO priced for a small surgery center?
On a flat-fee and annual-subscription basis sized for community facilities — never per-incident, per-patient, or percentage-based. The boutique pricing model exists so ASCs, FSEDs, and nursing facilities can meet the mandate without an enterprise quote.
Would your ambulatory surgery centers (ascs) program hold up under survey?
A Survey-Readiness Audit scores your committee, plan, training, and governing-body reporting against Chapter 331, the Joint Commission, and OSHA — in one document.