Does current surgical site infection data account for the reality of contaminated implants? What kind of research has been done around the safety of individually packaged sterile implants versus reprocessed implants? On this episode of the Beyond Clean podcast, we sat down with Dr. Aakash Agarwal, Director of Research and Development for Spinal Balance Inc, who has been working extensively on research projects to study the effects of reprocessing implantable pedicle screws and their subsequent i...
Apr 06, 2020•28 min•Season 8Ep. 1
One of the best decisions to make as a healthcare professional is an informed decision and when it comes to disruptive technology, that is the only way to approach implementation. On this week’s release of the Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight Series, we speak with Barbara Ann Harmer and Dave Billman about the disruptive technology of the ONE TRAY® System and the new EZ-TRAX™. We discuss ways in which these products allow facilities to do more with less, a significant benefit for both hospitals and ...
Apr 03, 2020•37 min
On this release of the Beyond Clean "COVID-19 Impact Series", we speak with Julia Jackson, CST, MED, FAST, an infection preventionist in Michigan about what she is seeing on the frontlines. As the global voice of Sterile Processing we want to provide an outlet and conduit for frontline information and best practices to be exchanged as quickly and easily as possible during this pandemic. To meet this need, Beyond Clean has opened up an ANONYMOUS voicemail hotline and SKYPE account for Sterile Pro...
Apr 02, 2020•4 min
On this release of the Beyond Clean "COVID-19 Impact Series", we speak with Larry Muscarella, an independent safety expert in Pennsylvania about what he is seeing on the frontlines. As the global voice of Sterile Processing we want to provide an outlet and conduit for frontline information and best practices to be exchanged as quickly and easily as possible during this pandemic. To meet this need, Beyond Clean has opened up an ANONYMOUS voicemail hotline and SKYPE account for Sterile Processing ...
Apr 02, 2020•6 min
On this release of the Beyond Clean "COVID-19 Impact Series", we speak with Gary Socola, President of HIGHPOWER Validation Testing & Lab Services in New York about what he is seeing on the frontlines. As the global voice of Sterile Processing we want to provide an outlet and conduit for frontline information and best practices to be exchanged as quickly and easily as possible during this pandemic. To meet this need, Beyond Clean has opened up an ANONYMOUS voicemail hotline and SKYPE account ...
Apr 01, 2020•5 min
On this release of the Beyond Clean "COVID-19 Impact Series", we speak with Buffy Lloyd-Krejci, CIC, an infection preventionist in Arizona about what she is seeing on the frontlines. As the global voice of Sterile Processing we want to provide an outlet and conduit for frontline information and best practices to be exchanged as quickly and easily as possible during this pandemic. To meet this need, Beyond Clean has opened up an ANONYMOUS voicemail hotline and SKYPE account for Sterile Processing...
Mar 31, 2020•6 min
We’ve likely all found ourselves wishing that technology and processes would more quickly adapt to the ever-changing needs of facilities and patients under our care. That push-and-pull is exactly why we chose to bring this important conversation from Season 2 back to the spotlight. Join us for this throwback episode where we chat with Keith Koby whose expertise covers the intricate web of ultrasound probe reprocessing and brings to light the power of solutions that can optimize workflow while al...
Mar 30, 2020•26 min•Season 2Ep. 8
On this release of the Beyond Clean "COVID-19 Impact Series", we speak with Dr. Patrick O'Malley, an emergency physician in South Carolina about what he is seeing on the frontlines. As the global voice of Sterile Processing we want to provide an outlet and conduit for frontline information and best practices to be exchanged as quickly and easily as possible during this pandemic. To meet this need, Beyond Clean has opened up an ANONYMOUS voicemail hotline and SKYPE account for Sterile Processing ...
Mar 26, 2020•4 min
When it comes to total optimization of instrument trays and inventory management, it's nearly impossible to have this conversation without talking about the potential of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). What is it and how is it changing a healthcare facility's ability to manage instrument and equipment inventory? On this week's re-released throwback episode from Season 2, we speak with Moses Chang who discusses this technology as it pertains specifically to sterile processing and the OR. T...
Mar 23, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 5
What does the COVID-19 coronavirus have to do with the Sterile Processing department? Will this pandemic change the everyday workflow of our reprocessing teams? How should we be approaching strategic planning during this unsettling time? There are a million of these kinds of concerns racing through the minds of frontline technicians and department leaders around the globe right now. On this bonus episode of Beyond Clean, we sat down with Ryan Lewis, MD, MPH to help us answer many of these questi...
Mar 20, 2020•23 min
There's an incredible amount of research that has been presented on and published the last 10 years about the dangers associated with improper reprocessing of flexible endoscopes. As healthcare facilities work through risk assessments to determine what process changes to implement, moving from disinfection to sterilization is likely part of that conversation. On this week's re-released throwback episode from Season 2, we spoke with Jenni Gibbs who discusses that very transition. She touches on e...
Mar 16, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 4
When it comes to implementing reliable consistent chemicals to do the dirtiest jobs in sterile processing, few names rise to the top like Certol International. With a 40-year track record in chemical manufacturing for infection prevention products, Certol International embodies a commitment to quality that is long-lasting. On this week’s release of the Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight series we speak with Peggy Spitzer and Brett Norton about the common issue experienced in healthcare facilities of ...
Mar 13, 2020•45 min
Since each healthcare facility is different, there is a time and place for reusable and single-use instrumentation that may differ from one hospital or clinic to another. On this week's re-released throwback episode from Season 2, we talk with Kathy Mazza who discusses all things single-use instruments. She touches on everything from a hospital's green initiative and how to best achieve that while utilizing single-use instrumentation to what characteristics differentiate a single-use from a reus...
Mar 09, 2020•29 min•Season 2Ep. 2
There are many questions and often a critical level of misunderstanding about medical device validation so on this re-released throwback episode from Season 2, we went right to the source and interviewed validation expert Don Tumminelli, Senior Technical Manager, Client Services at HIGHPOWER Validation Testing and Lab Services. When a manufacturer designs a medical device, specifically a Class II device that requires 510K clearance by the FDA, they need an IFU that outlines how the device is to ...
Mar 02, 2020•26 min•Season 2Ep. 1
It's the end of your shift, you've inspected and prepared what felt like thousands of tiny screws in an orthopedic tray. You grab the caddy, stand up, catch your foot on the anti-fatigue mat and the moment every tech dreads happens to you - the screw caddy falls and the screws are sent flying across the room... Orthopedic screw caddies are commonly used in healthcare facilities and on this Season 7 Rewind podcast episode, we talked with Terry McAuley, Director, STEAM Consulting Pty Ltd about the...
Feb 24, 2020•29 min•Season 7Ep. 8
In 2011, Christina Fast, an internationally certified Sterile Processing Educator, volunteered on the Africa Mercy—the world’s largest floating hospital. While docked in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Christina visited the sterile processing department of a local healthcare facility where she witnessed health care workers responsible for reprocessing surgical instruments who had never received training. Upon her return to Canada, Christina shared her vision of starting an organization to help decrease ...
Feb 17, 2020•26 min•Season 7Ep. 7
If you’ve ever been a new hire in the sterile processing department, this Season 7 Rewind of Beyond Clean may bring back some...interesting...memories. We’re talking about the onboarding process and setting Sterile Processing professionals up for success from day one. Our guest, William Bryant, discussed the topic of getting onboarding right and building it on a competency-based model. Onboarding in sterile processing has serious implications and the dangers of a poor onboarding process range fr...
Feb 10, 2020•43 min•Season 7Ep. 6
Two words: Shift wars. Each shift in a hospital department is riddled with interpersonal dynamics but the interplay between shifts is a topic we are finally shining a well-deserved light on. It's something that is a reality for many healthcare professionals and on this week's episode of Beyond Clean, we talk to 2nd shift Sterile Processing leader, Sarah B. Cruz, about her experience taking on the responsibility of the nuanced relationship between shifts. Sarah talks with us about the challenge t...
Feb 03, 2020•31 min•Season 7Ep. 5
You wake up this morning, grab your cup of coffee and head into work. You get there to greet a new department - one that you have very little familiarity with - the Sterile Processing Department. You have a couple of days to observe the state of affairs and then congratulations the department is yours to manage! What would your strategy be? How would you tackle complicated issues like lack of standardization of IFUs and low employee engagement scores? On this Season 7 Rewind episode of Beyond Cl...
Jan 27, 2020•37 min•Season 7Ep. 4
As healthcare professionals, we go to great lengths to make sure that our Operating Rooms are safe and that the sterility of medical devices is maintained to prevent harm to patients. What if, after all that effort, the culprit for spreading illness is actually your HVAC system? A potential breeding ground for biological growth, mold and mildew, the design of your HVAC system takes on a critical role in the Operating Room. On this Season 7 Rewind of Beyond Clean, we talked to HVAC expert, David ...
Jan 20, 2020•32 min•Season 7Ep. 3
On October 1, 2017 a gunman opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers on Route 91 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 10 minutes later the deadliest mass shooting in US history had transpired within the blink of an eye. Little did this week's podcast guest know that the training he pursued in the military and surgical services would set him up for success finding organization in the midst of tragedy and chaos. Tune in now to this new episode of Beyond Clean where we interview Dwayne Taylor about the pivotal role...
Jan 13, 2020•38 min•Season 7Ep. 2
It stands a little over five feet tall, increases sterilization efficiencies and saves time and money. Yes, it could be your new best friend- it’s the SteriCUBE and on this week’s release of the Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight series, we talk to Michele Mauzerall, CEO and Managing Partner at PMBS, LLC and Progressive Sterilization, LLC about the benefits of multiple tray sterilization technology. Many hospitals have the same consistent complaints: turnover times are too slow, delays or case cancel...
Jan 10, 2020•39 min
When a problem strikes in Sterile Processing or the Operating Room that puts a patient at risk, the knee jerk reaction is to what? To fire the person responsible. On this Season 7 Rewind episode, we talked with a mathematics major on a full scholarship-turned-Sterile Processing leader about the cultural shift that needs to happen in order to make lasting change in our departments - a shift that looks at the processes that are in place that set your staff up for failure or success. Marjorie Wall ...
Jan 06, 2020•29 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Regulators want it, healthcare facilities want it, medical device manufacturers want it...what if surgical instrument validation was actually geared toward a specific standard protocol? This re-released Season 1 episode features one of the biggest names in sterile processing, Ralph Basile, who talks with Justin Poulin, Michael Matthews and Hank Balch about all things ISO certification and AAMI/ASTM. Learn how you can get involved in the important decisions being made in today's healthcare enviro...
Dec 30, 2019•36 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Surgical instrument repair questions are such an important part of everything that we do as sterile processing professionals. David Anbari joins us to talk about preventative maintenance, accessibility and the mobile aspect of third party repair services. Who are the people repairing instrumentation and what's the difference between third party repair and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) repair in terms of quality? David addresses these questions and then in the second segment we dive into ...
Dec 23, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Picture this: your hospital has access to a magic button that would reduce SPD volume by up to 100 trays per week and reduce tray sizes by over 35%. Sound too good to be true? On this release of the Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight series, we talk to David Rowe and Dr. Martyn Knowles from Operative Flow Technologies. OpFlow, a data driven product focused on value optimization, uses actual instrument or supply usage data by case- collected during the case in the OR- to rationalize instruments in tra...
Dec 20, 2019•48 min
Surgical Services is a production-based system that relies heavily on the work done in Sterile Processing. This re-released Season 1 episode features David Taylor, President of the Resolute Advisory Group, LLC. David’s particular area of specialty lies in the operational improvement of Surgical Services and Central Sterile/Sterile Processing Departments (SPD/CS). During this interview we confront the significant and all-too-common challenges that these departments face when trying to work togeth...
Dec 16, 2019•48 min•Season 1Ep. 23
How do you and your department put yourselves on the map in your hospital, especially if you don't come from a business administration background? This week's Beyond Clean re-release features René Vis, Product Manager at Steelco Benelux B.V. who begins by talking about business training for sterile processing leaders. He then dives into the topic of thermometric validation. We all need validation of our procedures and also our machines- sterilizers, washers, heat sealers, etc. At the department ...
Dec 09, 2019•42 min•Season 1Ep. 22
This week's throwback episode of Beyond Clean gives listeners a look inside the process of gaining 510k approval and building a quality system that includes a risk analysis component. While there can be great pressure to cut corners in sterile processing in order to meet demand, Shawn Flynn , Consultant, Entrepreneur, and Medical Device Inventor, encourages technicians and managers to have the backbone to say no and advises that the good device representatives will support the smart and safe dec...
Dec 02, 2019•57 min•Season 1Ep. 3
On this inaugural episode of Beyond Clean from 2017, we interviewed Michael Matthews, who was then the Manager of Central Sterile at Baptist Health in Arkansas. Mike was a rising star in the Sterile Processing industry, who had taken a particular interest in regards to compensation and education requirements for front-line technicians. As most of you know, eventually Mike joined the Beyond Clean team himself, but on this episode he offered his insight into how managers can determine the value of...
Nov 25, 2019•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 1
