Legislative 2010 Events
2010 LEGISLATIVE EVENTS
& CST INVOLVEMENT
Minnesota Surgical Technologists
Were Called to Action!
TUESDAY, March 9, 2010
The Surgical Technologist bill was brought to the house for further review. The meeting was brought to order be Cy Thao. Jim Abeler our author presented the bill with some amendments along with some bill language changes. These amendments were voted on. Tom our lobbyist spoke about events in the OR. Then the representative from Minnesota Hospital Association voiced their opinion again. Their decision was that we in Minnesota do hire good Surgical Technologists and that they would be glad to sit down with us discuss this bill.
The bill was voted on and the decision was 3-2. So currently the bill is dead in the House until next session. We will keep working on this as it is very important to all of us.
Kristi Houselog, CST/CFA / Co-Chair, MN State Assembly Legislative Committee
6:30 PM / Room: 500 S (not 200) State Office Building / Chair: Rep. Cy Thao
Agenda:
HF3212 (Simon) Continuing education requirements exception provided for licensed professional counselors.
HF1094 (Abeler) Surgical technologist employment qualifications required.
*Both HF3212 and HF1094 will be reconsidered; no testimony will be taken.
On Tuesday, March 9th at 6:30 PM the bill, HF1094 (as well as HF3212), This is the second - and most important - hearing on this bill. MN-AST needs your support to counter opposition to credentialing surgical technologists. Your presence will make a difference! It will be heard by the House Health Licensure Division, in Room 500 S (not 200) of the State Office Building in St. Paul. Although the hearing will start at 6:30, there may be other bills on the Agenda. Please make arrangements to stay until our bill is heard. Your State Assembly needs you!!! Please come dressed in scrubs to show your support for our bill and for those testifying before the Licensure Committee. Sara Vodnick will be presenting testimony on behalf of the Minnesota State Assembly.
If you wish to testify, or submit written testimony, please contact Sara immediately at svodnick@yahoo.com, or contact our lobbyist, Tom Lehman, at tlehman1117@comcast.net.
THURSDAY, March 4, 2010
At 8:15pm on Thursday, March 4th, Our Bill S.F. 467/H.F. 1094 was heard by Chairperson Rep. Cy Thao and The Health and Human Services Licensing Division Committee at the State Office Building, Room 200, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155-1206.
Last night our bill S.F. 467/H.F. 1094 was presented by Rep. Jim Abeler with the testimony given by Sara Vodnick, MN State Assembly President. Our Bill was heard, discussed, given suggested amendments, and opposed by MNA & Hospital Association. The Committee decided to "Table" the Our Bill S.F. 467/H.F. 1094 for us to present it still during this session but at a later date. This gives us time to discuss & work with Rep. Jim Abeler on the language within Our Bill S.F. 467/H.F. 1094.
Thank you Surgical Technologists who showed up in Scrubs, in support of Our Bill S.F. 467/H.F. 1094. Please let any members, students & supporters know that the next hearing will be scheduled soon and posted on this website.
The Week of March 1, 2010
We had expected our bill S.F. 467/H.F. 1094 to be heard in the House Licensure Division Thursday, February 25th, but it has been moved back a week to Thursday, March 4th dut to there were too many bills on the agenda.
Our bill S.F. 467/H.F. 1094 was introduced in the Minnesota Legislature the week of March 1 by Senator Sharon Erickson Ropes (DFL-Winona) and Representative Jim Abeler (R-Anoka).
Please contact your state senator and state representative and tell them:
I am a surgical technologist living in your district. I am calling in support of legislation introduced by Senator Erickson Ropes/Representative Jim Abeler that will assure that surgical patients in Minnesota receive care from a surgical team in which EVERY member is licensed or credentialed by the State. Credentialed surgical technologists provide surgical care with fewer medical errors and infections, which helps lower health care costs. Please support our legislation.
Co-Chairpersons: Sara Vodnick, President & Kristi Houselog, Board of Directors
THURSDAY, February 25, 2010
Was the Mock Surgery from 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Here is some coverage on FOX 9 @ 5pm:
Mock Knee Surgery at Minnesota Capitol
Push for surgical technologist licensure in Minn.
ST. PAUL, Minn. - A professional group of surgeons is planning to perform a mock knee surgery Thursday at the Minnesota State Capitol in push for licensure requirements for surgical techs.
The Minnesota State Assembly of the Association of Surgical Technologists is promoting legislation that could require surgical technologists to graduate from an accredited program to work in Minnesota. They say this will help prevent errors made in the operating room.
The mock total knee replacement surgery will show legislators the critical role played by surgical technologists in the operating room -- a position that currently doesn't require a minimum education level or licensure.
Surgical technologists prepare patients and surgeries and pass tools to surgeons.
Action on the bill is expected in the next few weeks.
Our goal with the mock surgery was to educate members of the Senate Health Policy Committee and the House Health Licensure Division about what surgical techs do in the OR and how ORs work. We want them to see that surgical techs play a vital role and it is important that techs working in Minnesota ORs are educated appropriately to assure that patients are receiving the best possible care.
