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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
04/23/2024 05:22 PM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20170&cosponId=24051
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House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: June 1, 2017 02:58 PM
From: Representative Rob W. Kauffman
To: All House members
Subject: Central Service Technicians Certification
 
In the near future I am planning to introduce legislation that provides for the certification of Central Service Technicians. This legislation is similar to former House Bill 985 previously introduced by Rep. Mauree Gingrich.

Central Service Technicians are the individuals responsible for ensuring that equipment and instruments used during surgical procedures are properly disassembled, cleaned, inspected, sterilized and reassembled prior to patient use. Currently, Central Service Technicians are not required to be certified. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in its Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections cited that surgical site infections result in an estimated 13,088 deaths per year and cost hospitals approximately $25,546 per infection.

In a 2012 NBC Nightly News investigation piece, Brian Williams explored the procedures of a central service department at a healthcare facility. You may view this program at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zS4_RRrOWg.

With the passage of this legislation, an individual in this position will be required to pass a nationally accredited exam and maintain 10 continuing education credits annually. The legislation provides for “grandfathering in” technicians that have been working as Central Service Technician immediately prior to January 1, 2018, but they will still have to maintain 10 continuing education credits annually. Those not grandfathered in will have 18 months from the date of hire to get certified.

Central Service Technicians are responsible for first-line processes to prevent surgical site infections. Improperly sterilized instruments used in surgical procedures can introduce bacteria into a patient that sets up the risk for infection. It is critical to the safety of these patients that every member of the surgical team has the proper education, skills and knowledge to function safely. Please join me in cosponsoring this important legislation.

Introduced as HB1587