Dear Sirs:

Thank for the opportunity to comment on the VA registration law. It appears that those surgical assistants holding the SA-C credential as awarded by the American Board of Surgical Assistants (ABSA) have been barred from surgical assistant registration in Virginia. As the president of ACE Surgical Assisting and an active participant in the surgical assistant community since 1989, I'm puzzled as to the rationale of this exclusion.

There are over 80 SA-Cs in Virginia. It is my understanding that they'll be grandfathered in. They'll also be stigmatized due to the fact they have a credential they've worked hard to earn and now Virginia is telling them their credential is worthless. ABSA is recognized in most other states. You are telling the SA-Cs in Virginia if they want recognition, they have to move to another state. You are also telling SA-Cs in other states that if they move to Virginia, they won't be able to find a job. What a cold welcome!

It is in nobody's best interest to make one group of healthcare professionals outcasts in the state of Virginia. It doesn't serve the surgical assisting community, the surgeons and hospitals these professionals work for, those who might have otherwise moved to Virginia, and the surgical patients who ultimately benefit from the services of well-trained and credentialed Surgical Assistants.

Finally, the exclusion of ABSA and SA-Cs thwarts the goals of the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority. This organization lists the ABSA as a professional resourse for Virginia surgical assistants or those looking to become surgical assistants (see http://www.vhwda.org/healthcare-careers/medicine/surgical-assistant/)

Thank you again for allow us to comment. I know this profession very well and my highest recommendation is to put an end to this ban and let those with the SA-C credential be recognized and included in the Virginia registration of Surgical Assistants.