The HSPA Season of Giving is here! To help advance patient safety, the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association established the HSPA Foundation in 2016. Dedicated Sterile Processing (SP) professionals commit to continuing education and professional development to remain focused on doing what’s right in the name of patient safety—for every instrument, surgical case and patient. The Foundation’s mission is to support SP professionals and our industry through educational initiatives, research, scholarships, professional development grants and awards.

In this December 2025 special episode, host Casey Czarnowski speaks with Richard Schule, Senior Director for Enterprise Sterile Processing with the Cleveland Clinic, and Damien Berg, VP of Strategic Initiatives at HSPA, about the HSPA Foundation. Our guests discuss the Foundation’s background, successes and current initiatives, both in the U.S. and internationally. Listen to learn about the important work of the Foundation and how you can support your community and participate in the Season of Giving.

Our Guests:

Damien Berg, BA, BS, CRCST, AAMIF, serves as HSPA’s Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and is an HSPA Past-President (2018–2019). Additionally, he works closely with regulatory bodies and standards-making groups, including the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and he serves on the Executive Committee for the World Federation for Hospital Sterilisation Sciences (WFHSS).

Please note: CE credit is not offered for this episode.