New York CE Requirements

Note: In its 2013 session, the New York State legislature passed a law requiring technicians who perform instrument sterilization in hospitals and diagnostic and treatment centers offering ambulatory surgical services to hold one of two central services certifications – the Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) credential from the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM) or the Certified Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician (CSPDT) certification from the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD). Licensed healthcare professionals, including dental assistants, working within their scope of practice are exempt from this requirement, which became effective January 1, 2015. The New York State Dental Association has issued a memo to its members indicating that dental assistants who perform instrument sterilization in a hospital or ambulatory surgical center and who are not New York State Licensed “certified dental assistants” must earn one of the required certifications and complete 10 hours of continuing education credits annually. The New York State Dental Association does not believe that dental assistants working in private dental offices are subject to these requirements.