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Witnesses and lawmakers press VA on sterile‑processing failures, push certification bill
Summary
Lawmakers and sterile‑processing professionals urged the VA to require accredited certification for sterile processing technicians, citing documented lapses, cancelled procedures and veteran exposures; VA officials said internal standards exist but raised recruitment and implementation tradeoffs.
Chairwoman Kiggins opened the hearing by highlighting the Veteran Infection Prevention Act, saying the bill “gets at the heart of patient safety” after a pattern of failures in VA sterile processing that put veterans at risk. She pointed to findings at the Dublin VA Medical Center and described the proposal as intended to ensure technicians are “properly trained, properly supported, and held to the highest standards.”
Joseph Aila, administrator of sterile processing at the University of Virginia Health System, testified that sterile processing technicians perform complex, high‑volume work and that accredited third‑party certification provides objective standards and ongoing exam updates. He said many private hospitals use accredited certification cycles that are revised regularly and argued the VA’s current online modules lack the rigor and third‑party oversight needed to guarantee safe reprocessing of reusable medical devices.
Dr. Elsa Wikers of the VA acknowledged the importance of sterile processing staff and told the committee the VA “supports the intent” of stronger standards, noting VHA maintains internal certification processes and follows Joint Commission competencies. In response to questions, VA officials said the department offers an internal, no‑cost certification path requiring hands‑on experience and annual competency checks but raised concerns about making external certification an absolute precondition to hire because stricter front‑end requirements can screen out otherwise qualified candidates who could be certified after onboarding.
Members and witnesses pressed two tradeoffs: patient safety and clinical reliability on one hand, and recruitment and hiring flexibility on the other. Joseph Aila warned that uncertified staffing contributes to procedure cancellations, delays and, in some reported cases, exposures that required follow‑up care. The American Legion and other witnesses suggested transitional funding or reimbursement for initial certification to avoid harming recruitment for typically low‑paid GS positions.
What happens next: lawmakers asked VA for data on current certification rates and implementation timelines. Chairwoman Kiggins and multiple members signaled support for a legislative path that would require accredited certification while building in a realistic window and funding to support recruitment and upskilling.
