The ABSA is a unique and through certification exam that requires proficient manual skills, excellent written skills, and classes in surgical assisting or the equivalent experience. A candidate that meets all of these requirements and receives the ABSA certification is therefore ensured to be highly qualified to serve as surgical assistants.  In Virginia, the majority of employed surgical assistants have been certified by the ABSA. These assistants are very effective in what they do and ensure that patient, surgeon and hospital are all satisfied.  The certification ensures a quality standard of service that both hiring centers in hospitals and doctors can trust. Invalidation of the ABSA certification will result in mass employment, and decrease the standard service. For example, at the Inova Fairfax hospital—one of the nation’s leaders in cardiovascular surgery—more than half of the currently employed surgical assistants have ABSA certification as well as a decade or more worth of experience. Invalidation of their certification will result in job loss and the loss of an irreplaceable quality of service that can only come from experience.

 So, please consider the above clearly, and allow the surgical assistants certified by ABSA to continue their valuable work in hospitals and surgical centers across Virginia.

Sincerely,

Wengang Cao