Dear Sir's and Ma'ams,

Thank you in advance for accepting comments on the implementation of the law requiring registration for surgical assistants in Virginia. This is a law that everyone at ACE are in favor of with one exception. That is the exclusion of the SA-C National Certification through the ABSA.

The ABSA has a long standing reputation for credentialing highly qualified surgical assistants in Virginia and all over the US. The SA-C is one of the 3 nationally recognized certifications that is excepted in hospitals all over the country.

In fact many Mid-Level as well as physician level providers trust their certification to the ABSA.

Don't just take it from me that the SA-C should be considered as one of Virginia's trusted certifications for surgical assistants, take it from this statement by the ASA (Association of Surgical Assistants - A branch of the AST) which is currently posted on their website: The National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) offers the Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA) credential, the National Surgical Assistant Association (NSAA) offers the Certified Surgical Assistant (CSA) credential, and the American Board of Surgical Assistants (ABSA) offers the Surgical Assistant-Certified (SA-C) credential. CSFAs, CSAs, and SA-Cs have proven through the attainment of their respective credentials that they have the necessary knowledge and skill to ensure that the best possible care is given to each surgical patient in the operating room.

Read the full statement at : http://www.surgicalassistant.org/index.php/certification

Thank you again for your dedication to this quest to insure the quality of surgical care in Virginia