“Are You Ready to Take Control of Surgical Smoke Plume?” From Awareness to Action
NEW UPDATE: “This program is approved for 1.0 hours of AEUs by BASC Provider #0707". The content area is Delivery of Patient Care.
Surgical smoke evacuation legislation has been considered in a growing number of states over the past three years, and 2021 was no different.
Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon and Texas considered legislation on the issue last year, with Illinois, Kentucky and Oregon passing their bills into law.

This brings the number of states with surgical smoke laws on the books to five. So if you live in these states, you will want to pay close attention to this webinar:
Colorado
Illinois
Kentucky
Oregon
Rhode Island

The new laws hew closely to what had been passed previously in Colorado and Rhode Island, where impacted facilities, including ASCs, are directed to implement policies to mitigate staff exposure to surgical smoke with surgical smoke evacuation devices.

The legislation introduced in Georgia, Iowa and Ohio will remain eligible for consideration in 2022 as each of these states allow legislation to carry over between odd and even years. Will your State be next to adopt new legislature?

Regardless of legislature or mandates, it is only common sense and good medical practice that we want to limit our clinician's exposure to harmful airborne particles. So please proceed to learn more about reducing these risks.
ABOUT THIS COURSE
This course will provide information on how to prepare for surgical plume evacuation laws and regulations in a healthcare facility. The speakers will share their experiences and lessons learned during their advocacy work, and active involvement in the legislative process, leading to passage of the bill and enactment of the law in Illinois (Public Act 102-0533, Surgical Smoke Plume Evacuation). 

You will also learn about the steps to take to establish, implement, and monitor a practical and sustainable surgical plume management program that is designed to meet the individual needs of your facility. 

Moderator: Cathy Montgomery, RN, CASC
Speakers: Rebecca Vortman and Penny Smalley -
Rebecca Vortman, DNP, RN, CNOR 

Dr. Rebecca Vortman is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago teaching Doctor of Nursing Practice courses for the Population Health Nursing Science department and serves as a Perioperative Education Consultant. She has over 10 years of experience in perioperative nursing, education, and leadership. She is recognized as a national and regional leader through the AORN Forty Under 40 program and the Illinois Nurses Foundation 40 Under 40 Emerging Nurse Leader award. Her scholarly focus is on workplace safety initiatives and surgical smoke plume evacuation practices. She has disseminated her scholarly work through publications and presentations at the local, regional, and national levels. She is a strong advocate for surgical smoke plume evacuation practices and co-leads an Illinois-based grassroots coalition for surgical plume legislation in Illinois. She received a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Illinois Chicago. Her scholarly DNP project evaluated the use of perioperative core-curriculum modules and nurse intent to remain in the operating room. She is certified as an operating room nurse (CNOR) through the Competency and Credentialing Institute. 
Penny J. Smalley, RN, C.M.L.S.O.
Penny J. Smalley is an independent nurse consultant and certified medical laser safety officer, with a focus on perioperative safety when working with energy based surgical and medical technologies. Her work includes advocacy and consultation on the management of surgical plume, hazard identification and risk assessment, education and training, safety audits for compliance standards, policy, documentation, and program development, and implementation in healthcare facilities. Ms. Smalley contributes to national and international standards, with current appointments including: Vice Chair - ANSI Z136.3 (American National Standard - Laser Safety in Healthcare), Representative for ACORN for AS/NZ 4173 (Healthcare Laser Safety in Australia), Member of IEC (TC76) Laser Standards, Canadian delegate to ISO (TC121-SC6 Surgical Plume), Chair, Canadian Standards Association (CSA) - Z386 (Laser Safety), Vice Chair, CSA Z305.05 (Surgical Plume Scavenging). She also serves as Director of Education and Regulatory Affairs of the International Council on Surgical Plume (ICSP). Ms. Smalley is listed in Who’s Who of American Women and Who’s Who in American Nursing, has published numerous articles and text chapters, and has taught concepts in laser technology, mitigation of the hazards and risks of exposure to surgical plume, and development of standards for safety in healthcare throughout the world.
Learning Objectives:
  • Review the scientific evidence of the hazards, and the health and safety risks of exposure to surgical plume, for surgical team members and their patients
  • Discuss the standards, regulations, legislation, and best practices, that provide guidance on protection against exposure to surgical plume
  • Discuss the steps to take in order to implement a successful and sustainable surgical plume management program in a healthcare facility.

Who should attend the course: This course is designed for administrators, health and safety and infection prevention/control personnel, medical, nursing, and technical leadership, and perioperative team members responsible for regulatory compliance, and those who will establish and implement policies and procedures for surgical plume management.

Date:  February 23, 2022 

Time:  1:00pm Eastern Time / 12:00pm Central Time / 11:00am Mountain time / 10:00am Pacific Time

Price: $139.00 for the presentation, handouts and any Q&A follow-up with Cathy Montgomery that you might have after viewing the presentation. The price gets you one webinar invitation which allows for one internet connection password and telephone line connection (if you chose to listen by phone). The password is good for one connection so do not hand out this password to others. You are allowed to let any or all of your staff listen in to the webinar and all who attends are eligible for receiving a Certificate of Attendance and One Contact Hour of continuing education when you send your request to [email protected] after the webinar. NOTE TO Excellentia All Access emembers - This webinar is FREE to you. Please EMAIL with request for free registration link or send me an IM on the private Facebook Group for emembers.

Names of the handouts:
  • Notetaking version of the PowerPoint slides for attendee notes
  • Key Points for Surgical Plume Management
  • Summary of ISO 16571 standard: Systems for evacuation of plume generated by medical devices
  • Summary of ANSI Z136.3:2018 sections related to surgical plume
  
Contact Hours: This presentation will be worth 1.0 Contact Hour of continuing education. Upon request, you will receive a Certificate of Participation showing your Contact Hour.
Once you and any staff have reviewed this presentation, you will be eligible to receive a Certificate of Completion worth 1.0 Credit Hour of continuing education. You simply contact us at [email protected] requesting your certificates, using the Certificate Request Form found in the link below. You will need to provide a typed list of all participants first and last names, position title (RN, BSN, etc.), license numbers (if professionals) and date of completion.
* Excellentia Advisory Group LLC is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider CEP 15481: Issue Date: 4/6/2010;

“This program is approved for 1.0 hours of AEUs by BASC Provider #0707". The content area is Delivery of Patient Care.