Surgical Smoke Law Update

The New York Department of Health this week issued a "Dear Administrator" Letter (DAL) advising hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers on the adoption of policies and procedures to comply with New York's surgical smoke law. It requires  prevention of exposure to surgical smoke through the use of an airborne contaminant evacuation system for all procedures that generate surgical smoke.  NYONL and constituent nursing groups in the New York Nursing Alliance lobbied for passage of this important bill that will contribute to a safe environment for Operating Room staff by mitigating exposure to surgical smoke.  Kudos to the Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) for leading this important initiative!

The complete text of the DAL can be found on the attachment and at this link: https://www.health.ny.gov/professionals/hospital_administrator/letters/2023/docs/dal_23-05.pdf

For further implementation guidance, you can also refer to AORN’s Go Clear Program.