LV eye surgery center told to halt operations loses business license

A Las Vegas eye surgery center ordered last week to stop operations by state health officials now has a suspended business license.

The director of Clark County's business licensing department issued a suspension notice to Shadow Mountain Surgical Center, 7135 W. Sahara Avenue, Suite 101, on Monday.

The suspension is "in response to the public health emergency which poses a significant threat to the citizens of Clark County,'' according to a county document.

The item is set for discussion during next week's Clark County Commission meeting.

"Friday we heard about the concerns; Monday we had a discussion with state officials and decided to suspend the business license,'' said Dan Kulin, a county spokesman. "This added another layer of oversight and reinforced the action of the state. Meanwhile both state and county allowed the doctor's practice to remain open, which operates under a business license.''

The owners of Shadow Mountain Surgical Center are listed as Dr. David Malitz and Alex Pujari. Malitz' practice is listed as Southwest Eye Institute, which is in Suite 100 in the same building.

Kulin said the decision to allow Malitz's practice to remain open is so patients would have access to their medical records and are able to consult with their doctors.

Commissioners will decide whether to uphold, extend or overturn the suspension during Tuesday's meeting, Kulin said.

On Friday, the Nevada State Health Division issued a sanction letter to Shadow Mountain Surgical Center's administrators that banned further admissions into the facility. The center was fined $9,400 for 32 deficiencies discovered during a joint inspection by the state's licensing bureau and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The center's physicians aren't allowed to perform procedures at the facility until staff can demonstrate "substantial compliance based on a follow-up, unannounced survey.''

Some of the problems noted during the most recent inspection included deficiencies in sterilizing equipment and an inability to provide documentation that certain staff had undergone screenings for tuberculosis.

None of the deficiencies presented an immediate threat to patients, health officials said.

Malitz, who is listed as an ophthalmologist on the state's Board of Medical Examiners' Web site, has an out-of-state address.