This assignment is about legislator communication concerning a bill in the House.
Local, State, and Federal Legislators
At the local level, representation of Onslow County consists of Representative George G. Cleveland, Representative Chris Millis, and Representative Phil Shepard. Senator Harry Brown represents the county at the senate level. All the representatives mentioned above belong to more than one committee in both standing or select committee and non-select committee. Still, none of them is in the health or any other related committees. George G. Cleveland (Rep), for instance, is a member of the agricultural, appropriations, transportation, and wildlife resources, among others.
The State of North Carolina has two senators, namely Thom Tillis and Richard Burr, and a governor, Roy Cooper. There are 15 congressional delegations, consisting of two senators and 13 US House representatives from North Carolina. Governor Roy demonstrated his commitments to healthcare when he requested to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Conversely, Burr, who is Chairman of the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and sits on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the Finance Committee, has claimed that the Obamacare was on the verge of utter collapse.
Current and Actual Legislative Initiatives
The bill, “Establish Standards for Surgical Technology” is a House bill that has been passed by the House. It has been referred to the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate. This bill seeks to define surgical technologist, surgical technology and related functions, and other related aspects of surgical technology practices and ambulatory surgical facility standards for surgical technology care. It will provide clear hospital standards for surgical technology care. The bill also addresses qualifications for employment or contract and offers exceptions where necessary. It further determines probationary practices, continuing education, credential verification, exception, and the scope of practice. This bill is expected to effective January 1, 2018.
This bill advocates for quality patient care and outcomes through the improvement of the advancement of surgical technology profession in the State of North Carolina. As shown by the House North Carolina, it is the position of the bill that surgical technologists are an essential staff in the surgical department, and that patients are best catered for when all individuals who deliver care are suitably trained and work together for positive patient outcomes. The bill does not make it difficult for candidates to acquire training and license. Instead, it promotes patient safety and positive outcomes delivered by qualified surgical technologists.
Letter
Dear
Senator Richard Burr,
A lack of a standard for surgical technology in the State of North Carolina often leads to some adverse effects on healthcare outcomes (Weerakkody et al., 2013).
This letter urges you, as a sitting member of the health committee, to support the bill, “Establish Standards for Surgical Technology”, which has been referred to the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate for further debate. The bill is a comprehensive initiative to improve the surgical technology profession and reform the healthcare system in North Carolina. It requires legislators to provide legal standards for surgical technology and technology definition, qualification, training, and the scope of practice. Evidence shows that legislators have always sent high standards of regulatory compliance in the US healthcare sector (Stahel, Mauffrey, & Butler, 2014).
Additionally, the Affordable Care Act recognizes the need to change the healthcare workforce by improving education and training. Such practices have ensured that surgical technologists are equipped with the right knowledge and skills to improve the quality of care (Ljungqvist, Scott, & Fearon, 2017).
I thank you in advance for your support to improve standards of care in our state.
Sincerely
References
Ljungqvist, O., Scott, M., & Fearon, K. C. (2017). Enhanced recovery after surgery: A review. JAMA Surgery, 152(3), 292-298. Web.
Stahel, P. F., Mauffrey, C., & Butler, N. (2014). Current challenges and future perspectives for patient safety in surgery. Patient Safety in Surgery, 8(1), 9. Web.
Weerakkody, R. A., Cheshire, N. J., Riga, C., Lear, R., Hamady, M. S., Moorthy, K.,… Bicknell, C. D. (2013). Surgical technology and operating-room safety failures: A systematic review of quantitative studies. BMJ Quality & Safety, 22(9), 710-8. Web.