What we do as a perioperative team matters. Day and night, 365 days a year, we save, heal and improve the wellbeing of our patients. In the Sterile Processing department (SPD), compliance with evidence- and consensus-based standards and guidelines, as well as government regulations, is of crucial importance to our work and patient safety.

In episode 132, host Casey Czarnowski talks with international healthcare expert and renowned speaker Sharon Greene-Golden who has spent her distinguished career asking questions to better understand and improve processes. Greene-Golden describes compliance as working “in accordance with the established guidelines,” and she reviews the policies and procedures, standards and regulations SPDs need to be following. She also outlines recovery strategies for teams that are falling short of compliance and discusses the meaning of surgical conscience. “We have to be willing to evolve and change with time,” asserts Greene-Golden, which is why acquiring new knowledge and keeping up with continuing education is so essential. After all, she says, “Surgery begins and ends in SPD.”

Earn CE Now

All surgical instruments take effort to render clean and sterile, but some instruments by their design are more difficult to clean than others. Narrow channels, long lumens and tight tolerances challenge our decontamination professionals to remove soil and reduce the incidence of bioburden.

In episode 131, host Casey Czarnowski speaks with Noah Roitman and Trevor Hazen of HNM Medical about the dangers and high costs of unclean medical devices. Roitman and Hazen review some of the most challenging instruments and offer strategies for complete cleaning. They also discuss the option of single-use instruments as possible alternatives in the prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs).

Guest Speakers:

As the Founder and CEO of HNM Medical, Noah Roitman has spent over two decades building a globally trusted medical device company dedicated to improving surgical outcomes and elevating the standard of care. His passion lies in designing innovative, single-use surgical technologies that address critical needs in contamination control, reprocessing risk and OR efficiency. Roitman is proud to have helped shift the industry’s perception and adoption of single-use instrumentation across specialties such as neurosurgery, orthopedics and cardiovascular care. HNM Medical now serves hospitals and distributors worldwide with a robust portfolio of high-performance tools that support safer, faster procedures.

Trevor Hazen

Prior to starting his career in healthcare, Trevor Hazen earned his bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Bethel University. Like countless others in the Sterile Processing (SP) industry, Hazen did not know what he was getting into when he started as a vendor in 2015. He instantly fell in love with SP and hasn’t looked back! Since that time, Hazen earned his CCSVP and GTS certifications and became a member of HSPA, AORN and AAMI. He has presented hundreds of in-services at local hospitals and surgery centers and partnered with over 20 local chapters of HSPA, educating thousands of SP professionals about best practices, industry trends, leadership and professional development.

Host:

Earn CE Now

Managing loaned instrument sets presents difficulties for even the most organized Sterile Processing departments (SPDs). Hospitals and surgery centers with high procedural volume as well as those performing cutting-edge surgeries may see their loaned tray volume eclipse their regular workload at times!

In episode 130, host Casey Czarnowski speaks with Dave Jagrosse, sterile processing consultant and Past President of the HSPA Board of Directors, about loaned tray management and strategies for working with vendors. Jagrosse carefully reviews the many challenges of configuring loaned sets. He discusses staffing, storage and transportation considerations and references trusted resources that are available to support loaned tray management. This episode delivers essential tips to help SP professionals navigate loaned sets, an inescapable and unpredictable but important part of our workflow.

Guest: Dave Jagrosse, Sterile Processing Consultant

Dave Jagrosse is the President of David Jagrosse Consulting LLC which offers educational presentations, published articles, consultant services, and AAMI-based assessments to SP/CSS/OR/Endoscopy professionals worldwide. Jagrosse is a medical device reprocessing subject matter expert to medical device manufacturers, medical companies, independent practices/surgical centers, and offsite sterile processing centers. He is an expert witness for legal matters within the profession and an expert in SPD design and renovation considerations. Jagrosse has more than 36 years of experience in CSSD/SPD as a technician, supervisor, and manager, is an Adjunct Instructor for Sterile Processing with Medcerts, and a Past President of HSPA.

Earn CE Now

Surgical instruments require consistent care from use, through processing and storage, and back to the procedural area. This care saves healthcare systems money and, more importantly, assures that practitioners have the tools that they need, when they need them, to improve patient outcomes. We know from manufacturers’ instructions for use (IFU) and peer-reviewed research that the care of surgical instruments, both simple and complex, begins at the point of use (POU). But how can Sterile Processing professionals communicate effectively with our procedural partners about POU treatment of instruments?

In episode 129, host Casey Czarnowski talks with Tami Heacock, System Director of Sterile Processing at Lee Health, about POU treatment (not cleaning!) and its importance to our work in patient care. She discusses guidelines and standards that are available for encouraging POU treatment and strategies for talking with procedural partners about its importance.

Earn CE Now

Following manufacturers’ instructions for use (IFU) is among the most important responsibilities of the Sterile Processing (SP) team, and every item in our departments has an IFU—surgical instruments, processing equipment, detergents, disinfectants, and cleaning tools. Although critical for device care and patient safety, IFU do not have a standardized format or common layout. Each document looks different, which can make the process of trying to follow IFU feel Intense, Frustrating and Unclear.

In episode 128, host Jon Wood speaks with Randalyn Harreld of SteelcoBelimed about decoding IFU. Harreld describes most IFU as having “endless amounts of information.” In addition to the cleaning and sterilization sections, she identifies key components of IFU, including contraindications, preparation for use, and handling and storage. Harreld explains the term “compatibility matrix” and the differences between verification and validation. She also emphasizes the importance of looking for and following all cautions and warnings. Finally, Harreld offers strategies for housing and managing access to IFU. Listen in to learn how to better understand—and properly use—your IFU.

Earn CE Now

Our skin is not just a thing of beauty. It is our largest organ. It prevents water loss and protects us from infection, allergens and ultraviolet light. Although proper hand hygiene is essential to the work of Sterile Processing professionals and the safety of our patients, breaks in the skin barrier can occur due to over washing and exposure to hot water, harsh chemicals and PPE. Our skin health, however, parallels our body health, so it is essential that we take care of it.

In episode 127, host Casey Czarnowski speaks with dermatologist, author and consumer advocate Fayne L. Frey, MD, about the importance of protecting our skin. Dr. Frey reviews the anatomy and functionality of the skin and shares habits to keep your skin safe, especially outside of work hours. She discusses skin ailments, provides tips for listeners with sensitive skin, and decodes the buzzwords on skincare product labels. Tune it to learn how to maintain healthy skin and select safe, effective, affordable products sold at your local drugstore.

Earn CE Now

Data drives improvement in business, and healthcare is no exception. With the effective use of a quality management system (QMS), Sterile Processing (SP) professionals can use data they already collect, including sterilizer printouts and biological monitoring, to improve processes and make their work more efficient and accurate.

In episode 126, host Casey Czarnowski speaks with Hannah Schroeder of Pure Processing about QMS in the Sterile Processing department (SPD). Schroeder provides a high-level introduction to the QMS process. She discusses its key components, ways to incorporate a QMS in various areas of the SPD, relevant standards and guidelines, and diverse strategies for measuring QMS effectiveness. Listen to learn how a QMS can reveal trends and help SP leaders advocate for resources, such as additional staff, equipment or space.

Hannah Schroeder, Clinical Education Specialist, Pure Processing

Sponsored by Pure Processing

Earn CE Now

The chemicals used in Sterile Processing departments (SPDs) pose serious risks, and Alex Hilliker of ChemDAQ, Inc. believes that chemical safety is not discussed enough. In episode 125, host Jon Wood speaks with Hilliker, who explains the usage progression from ethylene oxide to hydrogen peroxide and glutaraldehyde to peracetic acid. Hilliker discusses the health hazards of working with these chemicals and the regulations and guidelines designed to protect workers from exposure. He reviews exact permissible exposure limits (PELs), methods of environmental and personnel monitoring, and the critical importance of chemical safety training.

Earn CE Now

In episode 124, host Jon Wood speaks with AORN Senior Perioperative Practice Specialist Amber Wood about how AORN Guidelines address numerous pertinent topics related to Sterile Processing, including challenges associated with 3D-printed instruments, short-cycle sterilization, overcrowded sets, and more. This podcast answers many questions you may not have even known to ask.

Earn CE Now

In episode 123, host Jon Wood speaks with Dr. Leo Gordon on the topic of excessive instruments found in Sterile Processing trays. As a physician, Gordon shares his unique viewpoint regarding the large quantity of instruments found on the Operating Room back table before, during and after a surgical procedure. He discusses how surgeons have influenced this issue and can potentially help rectify such an excessive waste of time and money.

Earn CE Now