Richard Anthony Gama, CST, CMLSO, is the Director of Laser Safety for Agiliti Surgical Services. Active Certified Surgical Technologist since 1983 working in general, ophthalmic, ENT, OB-GYN, cardio, vascular, neurology, urology, and orthopedic surgical specialties. He became a dedicated laser operator in 1988 and have been certified on many devices/wavelengths for virtually all specialties and applications. He attained vast work experience as a clinical educator and director of surgical services for various laser vendor services companies over the years. He created operating policy and procedures, laser safety checklists and logs, training curriculums and learning materials, computer-based training programs and certification exams for general laser physics and safety, laser devices/wavelengths, laser surgical and treatment applications, and developed performance/quality improvement and credentialing compliance systems as part of his duties. As a certified medical laser safety officer, Richard has provided certification training for laser users and operators as well as provide laser safety in-service programs for healthcare facilities in fourteen states across the country. He has conducted over eight-hundred laser training or in-service programs during career. Have written and produced training videos for Operating Room Work Practices, Laser Accessory Inspection & Inventory, Cleaning & Sterilization, Equipment Storage & Transportation, Laser Fiber Optic Handling & Use, Laser Safety Eyewear Management & Use and Sterile Product Management. He was instrumental in the creation and development of the Agiliti Laser Safety website portal and produced laser safety program and Medical Laser Safety Officer (MLSO) informational brochures and training videos for MLSOs as well as write and produce an ongoing  series of Clinical Update videos such as The Joint commission’s (TJC) Medical Equipment & Utility Systems Maintenance Standards, TJC Environment of Care Standards Compliance, Agiliti Laser Program Solutions for Health Care Facilities and others.  He is currently acting as the laser demonstration and hands-on instructor for the Laser Institute of America’s Medical Laser Safety Officer and Advanced MLSO training courses since May of 2014. Ha has written and presented two sessions at the 2015 International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC) titled HCF Third Party Laser Use & Compliance and Airway Laser Safety Considerations and one session at the 2019 ILSC titled Health Care Laser Hazards Relative to Risk. Instrumental leader of the medical laser safety community activities that lead to the 2019 Illumination Award from the Board of Laser Safety awarded to Agiliti. Richard is currently a member of the Board of Laser Safety’s Board of Commissioners and has been on the medical laser safety officer certification exam review board. He is currently the 2023 International Laser Safety Conference co-chair for the medical practical applications seminar.

Richard holds memberships in professional organizations such as Association of Surgical Technologists, Laser Institute of America, American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery, International Council on Surgical Plume, and Association of periOperative Registered Nurses. Richard declares no conflicts of interest.

Richard has over thirty-nine years of operating room experience with over thirty-three years of specialized laser training and experience. He was first trained as a laser safety officer in 1991 and has been a Board of Laser Safety Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer since 2005. He is completely dedicated to the concept of "Aeger Primo" - The Patient First and committed to a high-level of professional ethics and practices for the safe and effective use of lasers in Health care.