Illinois State Assembly of Surgical Technologists

04/14/2026

Happy Surgical Assistants Week!

03/30/2026

03/21/2026

Great turnout for the ISA Annual Meeting and Elections!!!!!

03/06/2026

We need to generate calls to Senate Licensing Committee Chair Suzy Glowiak Hilton:

1. Please call Sen Glowiak -Hilton at (630) 785-3177 leave a message with your name and hospital or college and ask that SB 2940, the O.R. Patient Safety Act, sponsored by Sen. Johnson, be called for a vote in the Senate Licensing Committee

2. Also please generate calls from surgeons and ask them to leave a message with what type of surgeon they are and how important it is for them to work with surgical techs with accredited education.

Thanks!!

03/05/2026

Thank you to everyone that filled out witness slips for the hearing today. Unfortunately, it was postponed. So be on the look out for another round of witness slips as soon as it gets rescheduled! We appreciate all of the support we are receiving to pass this much needed bill!

03/03/2026

***Last push for witness slips! Our hearing is tomorrow at 1:30pm!!!!!

Please take a moment to fill out a witness slip to show support of SB 2940 The OR Patient Safety Act and select "PROPONENT" and "RECORD OF APPEARANCE ONLY".

https://www.ilga.gov/Senate/hearings/details/3077/22522/CreateWitnessSlip/?legislationId=165337&GaId=18&View=Create

Our mission remains the same: advancing the Operating Room Patient Safety Act to protect patients and strengthen surgical standards across our state.

This legislation ensures surgical technologists graduate from accredited programs, maintain certification, and ensures that qualified surgical technologists are part of every procedure.

Welcome to the Official government website of the Illinois General Assembly

02/28/2026

Please take a moment to fill out a witness slip to show support of SB 2940 and select "PROPONENT" and "RECORD OF APPEARANCE ONLY".

https://www.ilga.gov/Senate/hearings/details/3077/22522/CreateWitnessSlip/?legislationId=165337&GaId=18&View=Create

Our mission remains the same: advancing the Operating Room Patient Safety Act to protect patients and strengthen surgical standards across our state.

This legislation ensures surgical technologists graduate from accredited programs, maintain certification, and ensures that qualified surgical technologists are part of every procedure.

02/13/2026

MALCOLM X COLLEGE PRESIDENT HOSTS LEGISLATORS in HIGH TECH SIMULATION HOSPITAL

State Representatives Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago, Michael Crawford (D-Chicago) and Lindsay LaPointe (D-Chicago) toured Malcom X' College's state- of- the- art Interprofessional Simulation and Virtual Hospital today, as special guests of College President David Sanders and Health Science Dean Nate Mendes, MD.

To gain a better understanding of the complex role surgical technologists play in the O.R., they "scrubbed in" to a mock surgery. Surgical technologists ensure the equipment, instrumentation, and sterile field are all in proper form and work directly alongside the surgeon during the entire operation, a profession that requires specialized knowledge, skill and expertise in this area.

Malcom X College is one of 20 accredited Surgical Technology Programs throughout Illinois. The Operating Room Patient Safety Act is pending in Springfield, which requires accredited training and certification for newly hired surgical technologists.

01/22/2026

Please join us for our annual March meeting in Peoria. Registration is now open and the link is provided below. We are looking forward to seeing everyone!

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/6s2jxsj/lp/bd21d199-a2fe-4fe4-b127-c2d07b8797f4

01/03/2026

Happy New Year! 🎉

On behalf of the AST Board of Directors and AST staff, we wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Front row: Director Jaime Lopez, CST, CSFA, RN, FAST; Secretary Rob Blackston, MEd, CST, CSFA, FAST; President Joseph Charleman, DBA, CST, CSFA, FAST; Vice President Dustin Cain, CST, CRCST, CHL, FAST; Treasurer Rachel Clark, CST, CSFA, ST-R, FAST; Director Lisa Day, MA, CST, CSFA, FAST.

Back row: Director Chris Blevins, BS, AAS-ST, CST, FAST; Director Brooke Oliver, MEd, CST, FAST; Director David Blevins, MHA, CST, CSFA, FAST; Director Monica Thulon, CST, CSFA, FAST; Director Stephanie Austin, EdD, CST, FAST.

12/03/2025

Thank you to Senator Adriane Johnson for visiting the Surgical Technology Program at Harper College! Her recognition and appreciation of our profession is invaluable. Behind every surgeon is the one who counts!