Ask the Educator

If you’ve ever wondered how to break into the field of sterile processing, this episode is for you! We’ll share how we each got our start in the industry, offer practical tips for getting your foot in the door, and highlight common mistakes to avoid when applying for your first SPD job. Whether you’re a student, a job seeker, or just curious about this vital role in healthcare, tune in for insights and inspiration to kick-start your sterile processing career!

Behind every surgical tool lies a story—and sometimes, the impact is deeply personal. In this episode, we sit down with our own Cheron Rojo as he shares how insulation testing touched his life and family in a profound way. From an unexpected surgical outcome to the study that shed new light on insulated devices, Cheron’s journey reveals why this issue matters more than many realize. Tune in for a powerful conversation that blends personal experience with industry insight.

In this episode, Cheron Rojo talks to Kevin and Adam to recap Healthmark’s August 2025 webinar on his 2023 – 2024 arthroscopic shaver study and the results.  Hear the sobering data on failure rates, where the issues were, contributing factors to the failures, and how can we start to improve these disastrous results?

With endoscopy under the spotlight, one of the toughest challenges departments face is proper drying. In this episode, we sit down with Healthmark’s endoscopy specialist, Dyan Darga, to unpack best practices and key takeaways from her July 2025 webinar on endoscope drying.

In this episode, we speak with 2025 HSPA Award of Honor winner, Julie Williamson about her career, how she came to HSPA and how the sterile processing industry has changed and evolved over the span of her career. As a bonus, we’ll let you know how YOU can get involved with industry writing and making sure you have a voice!  

How much do you really know about the chemicals used in your department and could you be unknowingly putting yourself or your team at risk?

In this episode, we’re joined by Alex Hilliker, Executive Vice President at ChemDAQ, a leader in chemical monitoring and safety systems.

With a background in public service and a passion for protecting frontline workers, Alex breaks down the latest standards in chemical safety, common exposure risks in Sterile Processing, and how teams can take practical steps to safeguard themselves. Whether you're new to the field or a seasoned pro, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

In this episode, Kevin and Adam sit down with Tiffany Reece and Jake McHugh, Clinical Education and Training Specialists, to discuss how they navigate the challenges of working in sterile processing while managing ADHD. Whether you have ADHD, think you might, or simply want to better understand how professionals can thrive with it, this candid conversation offers insight, support, and encouragement. You're not alone! 

How does a surgical instrument become magnetized, and why is that a problem?

In this episode, Healthmark Educators Michael Matthews and Malinda Elammari unpack the mystery of magnetized instruments. Sterile processing professionals will gain valuable insights into how magnetization happens, the challenges it can create in the OR, and practical solutions to address this often-overlooked issue in the SPD. 

What goes into creating a certification exam? Quite a bit more than you might think. In this episode, Kevin and Adam sit down with HSPA’s Siri Sorenson to unpack the process behind certification exams—from their development to delivery. Tune in to learn why certification matters, which options are available, and how these high-stakes assessments are carefully crafted for Sterile Processing professionals.

Surgical instruments need to be clean, and this rightly becomes an area of focus for a lot of sterile processing departments.  But we also need to make sure that instruments and devices used in the surgical case are functional, because non-functional devices can cause complications for patients.  In this episode, we speak with the Packaging Princess, Malinda Elammari about instruments and testing protocols that are often overlooked.