BILL NUMBER: HR 35	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Harkey

                        AUGUST 17, 2010

   Relative to National Surgical Technologist Week.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
             HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST



   WHEREAS, The Association of Surgical Technologists was officially
created as a nonprofit educational association in 1969 with the
support of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, the
American College of Surgeons, and the American Hospital Association;
and
   WHEREAS, Surgical technologists are responsible for the
environmental disinfection, safety, and efficiency of the operating
room, and their knowledge and experience with aseptic surgical
technique qualifies them for a role of importance in the surgical
suite; and
   WHEREAS, The surgical technology profession has grown to meet the
continuing demand for well-educated, highly-skilled, and versatile
individuals to work with surgeons and other skilled professionals to
deliver the highest possible level of patient care; and
   WHEREAS, Surgical technologists are skilled professionals uniquely
prepared for, and proud of their role on, surgical teams in
hospitals across the country and in California, where an estimated
5,000 surgical technologists, of the nearly 90,000 surgical
technologists nationally, are employed; and
   WHEREAS, Approximately 1,400 California surgical technologists
hold certification in their profession from the two major certifying
organizations for surgical technologists in the United States; and
   WHEREAS, Based on scientific evidence, the key role that health
care personnel in surgical settings can play by taking specific steps
to prevent surgical site infections for some operations has been
underscored by both the National Surgical Infection Prevention
Project and reported in The Joint Commission's 2007 Annual Report on
Quality and Safety; and
   WHEREAS, The Joint Commission's 2007 Annual Report on Quality and
Safety reported that surgical site infections were the second most
common hospital-acquired infections in the United States; and
   WHEREAS, It is a primary function of surgical technologists and
surgical assistants with proper education, training, and skills to
administer patient care of the highest quality; now, therefore, be it

   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the
Assembly recognizes and declares the week of September 19 through 25,
2010, as National Surgical Technologist Week in California; and be
it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.