HOUSE BILL No. 5544

 

January 11, 2006, Introduced by Rep. Stakoe and referred to the Committee on Health Policy.

 

     A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled

 

"Public health code,"

 

(MCL 333.1101 to 333.25211) by adding section 20174.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 20174. (1) Except as otherwise provided under this

 

section, a hospital, freestanding surgical outpatient facility, or

 

any other similar entity that utilizes surgical technologists shall

 

not employ, independently contract with, or grant clinical

 

privileges to an individual as a surgical technologist unless that

 

individual satisfies each of the following:

 

     (a) Holds a national certification established by the liaison

 

council on certification for the surgical technologist.

 

     (b) Has completed a program for surgical technology accredited

 

by the commission on accreditation of allied health education

 


programs.

 

     (c) Has completed an accredited training program for surgical

 

technologists in the armed forces or in a hospital or freestanding

 

surgical outpatient facility.

 

     (d) Has successfully completed the surgical technologist

 

certifying exam approved by the liaison council on certification

 

for the surgical technologist.

 

     (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to an individual who is

 

employed by or under contract with the federal government or who is

 

currently employed by or under contract with a hospital,

 

freestanding surgical outpatient facility, or other entity and has

 

been employed by or under contract with that entity for not less

 

than 18 months over the course of the 3 years immediately preceding

 

the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section. 

 

     (3) A hospital, freestanding surgical outpatient facility, or

 

other similar entity that utilizes surgical technologists may

 

petition the director of the department for a waiver from the

 

requirements of subsection (1) if that entity is unable to employ a

 

sufficient number of surgical technologists who meet the

 

requirements of subsection (1). The director shall grant the waiver

 

if the hospital, freestanding surgical outpatient facility, or

 

other entity can demonstrate that it made a diligent and thorough

 

effort to employ surgical technologists that meet the requirements

 

of subsection (1). A waiver granted under this subsection is valid

 

for not more than 6 months.  The department may renew the waiver,

 

but the waiver shall not exceed 12 months.