As Past-President of the Virginia Commonwealth State Assembly of the Association of Surgical Technologists (VCSA-AST), with 30 years as a Certified Surgical Technologist and a Fellow of AST, I am writing to express the Virginia Commonwealth State Assembly of the Association of Surgical Technologists’ support for the Regulations Governing the Registration of Surgical Assistants and Surgical Technologists as set forth by the Board of Medicine, Department of Health Professions, 18 VAC 85-160-10.  These regulations implement Chapter 531 of the 2014 Acts of the Assembly, Virginia Code § 54.1-2956.12 and § 54.1-2956.13 and establish requirements for surgical assistant and surgical technologist registrants. 

VCSA-AST and the American College of Surgeons support the position that surgical technologists and surgical assistants should meet national standards and be credentialed by appropriate authorities. VCSA-AST supports the credentialing bodies set forth in the law. 

The Virginia Commonwealth State Assembly of the Association of Surgical Technologists believes that education and certification of surgical technologists protects patients.  We, as professional surgical technologists and surgical assistants, are willing to pay the $75 registration fee because we believe this registration is important in forwarding patient safety in operating rooms throughout Virginia.  VCSA-AST requests the regulations be approved as written.