ConCensis

Despite its rapid technological advancements, the Sterile Processing industry faces a challenge: professionals often feel disconnected. The upcoming Censis Technologies Users Conference (CtUC) Connect 2023, scheduled from September 10-12 at the Omni Nashville Hotel, seeks to address this issue. A recent survey highlighted that 80% of professionals believe in-person conferences, like CtUC 2023, are essential for building meaningful connections and staying updated on industry best practices.

The Censis Technologies Users Conference promises more than a gathering; it’s a platform to elevate Sterile Processing excellence. Attendees can anticipate a blend of educational sessions, insights from industry experts, and invaluable networking opportunities.

What’s the central theme of this year's conference? How can Sterile Processing professionals maintain their edge in a rapidly evolving industry?

On this special episode of ConCensis, a podcast by Censis Technologies, presented by Kem Medical Products, host Gabrielle Bejarano, and a trio of Censis leaders provide answers and insights into the much-anticipated CtUC 2023. The episode features:

Censis President Poornima Gopalakrishnan, VP of Customer Support & Service Allison Flood, and VP of Products & Marketing Yizhou Chen covering the following topics:

• The significance of CtUC 2023, marking the first in-person conference since 2019

• The role of CtUC in advancing sterile processing innovation

• New product debuts and features launching at the conference

With her diverse experience in supply chain and sterile processing in Southwest Florida, Allison Flood now serves as the VP of Customer Success and Service at Censis. Yizhou Chen has a prosperous career spanning commercial and product management roles across multiple continents. Purnima Gopalakrishnan brings over a decade of experience in the dental industry, focusing on product management, marketing, and operations.

With the world continuing to grapple with the aftermath of COVID-19, healthcare facilities are finding it harder than ever to recruit and retain qualified staff. The high cost of living, economic uncertainty, and an increasingly competitive job market have created a perfect storm, leading to a whopping 77 percent of employers struggling to fill positions, according to a Manpower Talent survey. Nearly every industry is experiencing recruitment challenges, even healthcare, which is ultimately leading to new strategizing. But the stakes are high and without adequate staff, healthcare facilities can’t operate at full capacity, threatening their survival and the broader economic recovery.

How do healthcare facilities navigate this tough recruitment landscape? What strategies can they employ to not only attract, but also retain the talent they desperately need? On the latest “ConCensis” podcast, host Gabrielle Bejarano welcomed guest Brian Reynolds, the Assistant Chief of Sterile Processing Services at the VA Medical Center in West Palm Beach Florida to explore how it’s affected the field of sterile processing. The two dived into the heart of recruitment woes, and discussed the root causes of these staffing problems, potential solutions, and the implications of current trends on the future of hiring.

Bejarano and Reynolds talked more on:

● How offering competitive pay is crucial to attract and retain talent

● Collaboration between HR and the hiring department to ensure new hires are supported for a smooth and strong onboarding

● Providing continuous development opportunities to improve skills and increase job satisfaction and retention.

Brian Reynolds is the Assistant Chief of Sterile Processing Services at the VA Medical Center in West Palm Beach Florida and has a wealth of experience in recruitment having navigated recruiting challenges firsthand in his role. Reynolds has a rich background in healthcare with over three decades of experience in the sterile processing field.

Preventing HAIs (healthcare-acquired infections) is critical in sterilization and quality control processing. Maintaining AAMI ST-91 guidelines ensures adherence to the latest sterilization and quality control methods for endoscopes. And with over 51.4 million inpatient surgeries performed in the U.S. each year, keeping up-to-date guidelines for AAMI ST-91 is paramount.

How do the updated AAMI ST-91 guidelines improve endoscope reprocessing and enhance compliance?

In this ConCensis episode brought to you by Censis Technologies, host Gabrielle Bejarano discusses the updates to the AAMI ST-91 guidelines, focusing on endoscope reprocessing. The discussion addresses the challenges and importance of proper cleaning, the impact of ST-91 requirements, and the role of electronic tracking systems in enhancing compliance and patient safety. Kelly Swails, Clinical Business Manager at Censis Technologies, and Mary Ann Drosnock, Director of Clinical Affairs at Healthmark Industries joined Bejarano to delve into the challenges associated with endoscope reprocessing, the significance of the AAMI ST-91 guidelines, and the implementation of electronic tracking systems to streamline processes and improve patient safety.

Bejarano’s discussion with Swails and Drosnock includes:

• The challenge of endoscope cleaning and the significance of the ST-91 guidelines:
• AAMI (Association for the Advancement in Medical Instrumentation) and its role in enhancing compliance and patient safety
• Adoption and impact of updated guidelines

About Kelly

Kelly Swails is the Clinical Business Manager at Censis Technologies with experience in endoscope reprocessing and implementing electronic tracking systems. She received her M.A. in organization leadership from the University of Northwestern, St. Paul.

About Mary Ann

Dr. Mary Ann Drosnock is the Director of Clinical Affairs at Healthmark Industries, where she provides expertise in medical device processing and infection prevention and leads an experienced team of Clinical Educators. For nine years, she was co-chair of AAMI WG 84, which writes ST91, the national standard on flexible endoscope reprocessing, and TIR99 on the processing of ultrasound probes and dilators. Before Healthmark, Mary Ann managed the Infection Control Program for Olympus America, worked and managed labs as a pharmaceutical microbiologist, and taught Microbiology courses at the college level. MaryAnn has a B.S. in Biology, an M.S. in Quality and Regulatory Affairs, and a DrHSc in Healthcare Administration and Management.

Sterile processing departments are persistently understaffed with high turnover which leads to higher defect rates. These defects have serious impacts on patient safety and are the third leading cause of operating room delays.

So how can SPD leadership get actionable data they need to make impactful changes that will significantly improve sterile processing outcomes and help lower defects?

On today’s episode of the ConCensis Podcast, host Gabrielle Bejarano speaks with Stewart Pillow, Senior Program Coordinator at VCU Health, and Shamu Anthony, SPD Education Coordinator at VCU Health, about the significance of using quality data for education and training, and their experience using CensisAI², to gain insights to streamline operations and make better, data-driven decisions faster.

Bejarano, Pillow, and Anthony discussed:

1. The experience of transitioning to using CensisAI² to better see quality data

2. Using quality data for education and training

3. Impact of AI tools on productivity and quality

"Previously, we relied on a data analyst to maintain the dashboard for our quality data. However, CensisAI² is great because it reduces the time required to fill, sort, and represent data. In addition, it is easier to access and use. Using CensisAI² can help us trace back quality performance in the past to make future predictions of performance, which can guide the decision of what training to include for our staff. CensisAI² is helping to bridge the gap between productivity and quality. Data that used to take months to make sense of has now become available at a click of a button. This has created a more efficient and sustainable workflow," explained Pillow.

“Most times, we have lots of new staff and travelling staff. As a result, using CensisAI² has helped me identify key areas of focus during training programs. It also helps to identify what instructions or reminders the staff needs, which helps to optimize consistent productivity across the board to get quality results, regardless of the shift or the number of trays we need to process.” said Anthony.

Stewart Pillow is the Senior Program Coordinator at VCU Health. He earned a Standard Diploma from Varina High School and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Management from ECPI University.

Shamu Anthony is the SPD Education Coordinator at VCU Health. She oversees the education for sterile processing. She identifies areas that require more education with CensisAI² and ensures the training is tailored to address these areas.

Many medical instruments are reusable, which has made tracking them through the sterilization process very important. These instruments often require inspection, maintenance, and sterilization to ensure maximum patient safety. Some healthcare facilities still track their instruments with paper and pen, exposing them to human error, credibility, time-consuming recalls, and boxes of archives that need to be stored. However, these challenges can be solved by implementing an electronic tracking system, which offers hospital administrators better control over patient safety and peace of mind.

But what are the experiences of people who have transitioned from using the manual tracking system to the electronic tracking system?

On today’s episode of ConCensis, host Gabrielle Bejanaro speaks with Arlene Bush, Team Supervisor for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, and Marlin Minnis, National Conversion Manager at Censis, to compare the pros and cons of using a manual tracking system versus an electronic tracking system.

The trio discussed:

Challenges associated with using a paper tracking system

The experience of transitioning to an electronic tracking system

Experiences with using Censis solutions and advice to other facilities still using the manual paper tracking method

“A tracking system is so critical for the department, as it makes the job easier when there is a need to quantify things in terms of compliance. Previously, when we used paper tracking, it was pretty daunting. Another disadvantage is the ease of losing patient files. The electronic tracking system has more pros than the paper system in terms of accountability, tracking, service, and ease of quantifying data,” explained Arlene Bush.

“I did not really grasp how daunting paper instrument tracking was before I started electronic instrument tracking. The electronic tracking system gave us more credibility and accountability. Most times, especially as a manager, with the paper system, you can make a decision with little or no information, which can come back to hurt you. However, with the electronic data, you can actually see what is happening from the data entry and make informed decisions. Electronic instrument tracking allows the SPD team to be more proactive and less reactive,” explained Marlin Minnis,

Arlene Bush is the Team Supervisor for the US Department of Veteran Affairs. She attended SUNY Canton, where she studied Small Business Administration and Management, and Piedmont Virginia Community College, where she studied Liberal Arts and Sciences. She has been in the sterile processing field for over 20 years.

Marlin Minnis is the National Conversion Manager at Censis. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management from the University of Maryland Global Campus. Minnis has worked with the U.S. Army as a Surgical Technologist for over 10 years. In addition, he worked with Materials Management Microsystems as the Director of Implementation and National Sales Executive for over 13 years before going to Censis Technologies, where he has worked for over 4 years.

The healthcare sector suffered a major setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Providing high-quality services to patients is a priority. However, for healthcare facilities to run properly, managers or directors must make operational and strategic decisions, especially in the perioperative setting. Efficient operating room (OR) management involves maintaining equilibrium between optimal OR capacity, allocation of ORs to surgeons, assignment of staff, ordering of materials, and reliable scheduling while according the highest priority to patient safety.

But, what are the challenges in SPD Management and ensuring high-quality perioperative services?

On a recent episode of the Censis Podcast, host Michelle Mooney sat down with Brian Dawson, the System VP of Perioperative Services for CommonSpirit Health, to discuss the challenges in measuring productivity in the perioperative setting and SPD.

Measuring productivity in the OR is totally different from the sterile processing department. AAMI, the body governing SPDs, has developed a chart indicating the average time required to perform various tasks. Tasks are categorized into four levels. With this information, Censis can monitor the tasks done in SPD to determine the number of staff required based on workload.

Michelle Mooney and Brian Dawson discussed:

1. How to measure productivity in the OR and sterile processing departments and its benefits to leaders

2. Challenges with staffing

3. The role of Censis in data collection

“Most facilities like CommonSpirit Health measure OR productivity through minutes of service- how many minutes do patients spend in the OR and how many people are required to care for them. Then based on that, we can look at how many minutes were used in the OR, how many staffs were required, then we can determine if it is balanced, over, or under productivity. The big picture is to have a comprehensive data sharing which allows for proper assignment, division, and utilization of staff,” explained Brian Dawson

Final words to other healthcare facilities that need a tool to measure productivity: find a tool that suits your procedural area so you can capitalize on the asset you have to generate revenue.

Brian Dawson is the System VP of Perioperative Services at CommonSpirit Health. He received his Bachelor of Science-Nursing degree from American University and a Master’s of Science-Nursing and Health Care Administration degree from Old Dominion University. He has worked for over 28 years as a nurse.