Section 20-185aa - Surgical technologists. Definitions. Requirements for employment by health care facility. Documentation(a) As used in this section: (1) "Health care facility" means an outpatient surgical facility, as defined in section 19a-493b, or a hospital, as defined in in section 19a-490, but does not include a chronic disease hospital, as defined in section 19a-550;(2) "Health care provider" means a person or an entity that is licensed, certified or registered by the Department of Public Health to provide health care services pursuant to this title;(3) "Surgical technologist" means a person who performs surgical technology services who is not a health care provider;(4) "Surgical technology services" means surgical patient care including, but not limited to, one or more of the following:(A) Preparing an operating room and the sterile operating field for surgical procedures by ensuring that surgical equipment is functioning properly and safely and using sterile techniques to prepare surgical supplies, instruments and equipment;(B) Intraoperative anticipation and response to the needs of a surgeon and other surgical team members by monitoring the sterile operating field in an operating room and providing the required instruments or supplies; and(C) Performance of tasks at the sterile operating field, as directed, in an operating room setting, including: (i) Passing surgical supplies, instruments and equipment directly to a health care provider;(ii) sponging or suctioning an operative site;(iii) preparing and cutting suture material;(iv) transferring and irrigating with fluids;(v) transferring, but not administering, drugs within the sterile field; and(vi) handling surgical specimens.(b) A health care facility shall not employ or otherwise retain any person to perform surgical technology services unless such person meets one or more of the following requirements: (1) Successfully completed a nationally accredited surgical technology program and holds and maintains certification as a surgical technologist from a national certifying body that certifies surgical technologists recognized by the Department of Public Health;(2)(A) Successfully completed an accredited surgical technologist program,(B) has not, as of the date of hire, obtained certification as a surgical technologist from a national certifying body that certifies surgical technologists recognized by the Department of Public Health, and(C) obtains such certification not later than eighteen months after completion of such program;(3) Performed surgical technology services as a surgical technologist in a health care facility on or before October 1, 2023, provided the health care facility employing or retaining such person as a surgical technologist under this subsection obtains proof of such person's prior experience as a surgical technologist from such person and makes it available to the Department of Public Health upon request of the department;(4) Successfully completed a training program for surgical technology in the armed forces of the United States, the National Guard or in the United States Public Health Services; or(5) Has been designated by the health care facility as being competent to perform surgical technology services based on specialized training or specific experience, including, but not limited to, as a phlebotomist, nuclear medical technologist, ultrasound technologist or central service technician, provided the health care facility retains a list of such designations deemed by such facility to be competent to perform such services.(c) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a person from performing surgical technology services if such person is acting within the scope of such person's license, certification, registration, permit or designation, or is a student or intern under the direct supervision of a health care provider.(d) Any health care facility that employs or retains a surgical technologist shall submit to the Department of Public Health, upon request of the department, documentation demonstrating that the surgical technologist is in compliance with the requirements set forth in this section.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-185aa
Amended by P.A. 24-0068,S. 51 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2024 Regular Session, eff. 5/28/2024.Added by P.A. 23-0195,S. 1 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2023 Regular Session, eff. 10/1/2023.