On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Putting the Puzzle Together for Point of Use Pre-Cleaning Compliance - Part 2". To hear more from this expert, follow us on Facebook and Linkedin, or subscribe to the Beyond Clean mailing list by visiting: https://educate.beyondclean.net/cleanfreaks or text BEYONDCLEAN to 22828 Do you know a #SterileProcessing expert who you'd love to hear from on our series? Or do you have a question for ...
Dec 10, 2022•2 min
With features that help streamline processes and reduce the possibility of wet sets, Aesculap’s next generation rigid container is everything you’d expect from the market leader.¹ The new AESCULAP Aicon™ Sterile Container System is a sterilization powerhouse that delivers 100% container and basket synchronization, up to 47 percent less dry time with the Enhanced Drying System (EDS)² and up to a 200 percent increase in sterile aseptic area.³ On this Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight™ we talk with Mic...
Dec 09, 2022•46 min
On this CE approved release of Articles On-The-Go, we confront the industry secret of non-compliance. Are you really following ALL of the your manufacturer's instructions for use? Is it even possible? "So I want to issue a call to action today. If you're a vendor of medical devices, equipment, instrument tracking, sterility assurance or any other CS product/service -- WE NEED YOUR HELP! Get your CS customer behind closed doors and get some honesty from them. You may be surprised at what you hear...
Dec 08, 2022•5 min
Is it possible for one Sterile Processing department to support the daily decontamination, assembly, and sterilization needs of an entire healthcare system? Does centralizing instrument reprocessing still render the same quality and service as an in-house SPD? On this week's Beyond Clean special release , we're sharing an exclusive interview from the 2020 HPN SPD Department of the Year award winner, M Health Fairview's Lori Ferrer, from our "Conference of Champions" event earlier this year. No o...
Dec 05, 2022•57 min
[Listen & download the BONUS content!] Validated disinfection of channel-less endoscopes & TEE probes without water or chemicals all in less than 60 seconds? Welcome to the UV-C revolution, #CleanFreaks! Joining us for this Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight™ interview is Daan Hoek, co-founder at UV Smart, to discuss how their D60 disinfecting equipment (FDA registered Class 2) is now providing the US with a sustainable, economical, and environmentally friendly solution for tackling some of o...
Dec 02, 2022•33 min
On this CE-approved release of Articles On-The-Go, listen as Hank explains the common experiences of OR bullies and what you can do about it: "For all those in this industry who see or hear of surgeon bullying happening to your CS/SPD team, stand up and speak out for these victims downstairs . We need your voice. We need your support. We need our story to be told. And we need these surgical bullies to be held accountable. Change is possible. But it will take courage..." To read this article, tak...
Dec 01, 2022•4 min
What is the power of creating partnerships in the perioperative setting? How do these partnerships impact Sterile Processing success and quality of patient care? On this week's Beyond Clean special release , we're sharing an exclusive interview from the 2022 HPN SPD Department of the Year award winners, NorthShore University Health, from our "Conference of Champions" event earlier this year. If you ask NorthShore University Health System’s Director of Sterile Processing, Courtney Mace Davis, she...
Nov 28, 2022•59 min
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "No Cookie Cutter Approach: Part 1". To hear more from this expert, follow us on Facebook and Linkedin, or subscribe to the Beyond Clean mailing list by visiting: https://educate.beyondclean.net/cleanfreaks or text BEYONDCLEAN to 22828 Do you know a #SterileProcessing expert who you'd love to hear from on our series? Or do you have a question for one of our current experts? Contact us at an...
Nov 26, 2022•2 min
On this CE-approved release of Articles On-The-Go, listen as Hank underlines the top 10 ways hospitals put their patients and Sterile Processing Departments at risk: "Chances are high that there may be unmet needs sitting in plain sight in your facility's CS/SPD department. Even if this team made it through your most recent infection control tracer or tri-annual survey, there may still be issues that need addressing , capital that needs investing, and collaboration that needs implementing. Becau...
Nov 24, 2022•11 min
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… a Joint Commission Surveyor! Accreditation happens every three years, but we prepare for it every day. Will your next survey leave you with a fear of findings, or will you pass with flying colors? This week on Season 18 “Investing in Instrument Safety” which is focused on getting our team the time, money, and support we need to protect our surgical inventory we meet with Angela Lewellyn, Director of Development and Research for Advantage Support Services as we di...
Nov 21, 2022•40 min•Season 18Ep. 8
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Where's My Indicator?". To hear more from this expert, follow us on Facebook and Linkedin, or subscribe to the Beyond Clean mailing list by visiting: https://educate.beyondclean.net/cleanfreaks or text BEYONDCLEAN to 22828 Do you know a #SterileProcessing expert who you'd love to hear from on our series? Or do you have a question for one of our current experts? Contact us at any time via e...
Nov 19, 2022•3 min
Effective endoscopy cleaning is one of the greatest challenges of modern instrument reprocessing. Superbugs and healthcare acquired infections (HAI) are lurking in unseen channels and studies are showing many of our current cleaning practices are still missing the mark. Joining us for this Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight™ is Jason Minutillo, Director of Quality for SPD and HLD for UCHealth, to speak to the critical role that manual cleaning in general, and effective brushing in particular, plays i...
Nov 18, 2022•28 min
On this CE-approved release of Articles On-The-Go, listen as Hank equips fearless leaders with the "weapons" of on-boarding to make successful and fierce technicians: "Few things are more important to the life and strength of your CS department than getting onboarding/training right. If poor training practices become your Achilles’ heel , your team and surgical quality could suffer for generations, with the same bad habits, bad culture, and bad information being passed on from one technician to ...
Nov 17, 2022•6 min
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Understanding Different Types of Repair Programs - Conclusion". To hear more from this expert, follow us on Facebook and Linkedin, or subscribe to the Beyond Clean mailing list by visiting: https://educate.beyondclean.net/cleanfreaks or text BEYONDCLEAN to 22828 Do you know a #SterileProcessing expert who you'd love to hear from on our series? Or do you have a question for one of our curre...
Nov 12, 2022•3 min
The world of safely & compliantly managing ultrasound probe inventory is no easy feat. Manual leak testing is excessively time-consuming, and the lack of proactive equipment management leaves these high-cost devices open to regular inventory downtime and catastrophic failure. On this Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight™, we speak with Levi Moore, B.Sc., MBA, President and COO Acertara Acoustic Laboratories, about his company's mission to simultaneously reduce the costs associated with maintaining ...
Nov 11, 2022•36 min
On this CE-approved release of Articles On-The-Go, listen as Hank describes how to cultivate technicians that believe in your department's mission: "don't underestimate the power of highlighting concrete examples of your mission-in- action for your team. This means taking every opportunity available to make all those lofty words and ideals mean something real to your people, something they can almost touch..." To read this article, take the CE quiz & download your certificate, click here . S...
Nov 10, 2022•6 min
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "How Do I Know It's Sterile?". To hear more from this expert, follow us on Facebook and Linkedin, or subscribe to the Beyond Clean mailing list by visiting: https://educate.beyondclean.net/cleanfreaks or text BEYONDCLEAN to 22828 Do you know a #SterileProcessing expert who you'd love to hear from on our series? Or do you have a question for one of our current experts? Contact us at any time...
Nov 05, 2022•3 min
With over 150+ years in the surgical instrument manufacturing & repair business, Aesculap knows a thing or two about what it takes to solve the everyday problems of their clinical partners in Sterile Processing & the Operating Room. On this Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight™ we talk with Pawel Szczygiel, Manager, ATS Repairs at Aesculap USA about the depth of expertise that goes into every surgical instrument repair they support in over 50 countries around the globe, and their commitment to ...
Nov 04, 2022•34 min
On this CE-approved release of Articles On-The-Go, listen as Hank outlines best practices for balancing school & a Sterile Processing career: "As with any other goal in life, completing college is something countless folks have done before you and many more will do after you. And many of us have also done it while working in our local SPD department. While becoming an A+ student/technician won't be easy, it's totally doable, and it's possible to do it excellently. Hopefully these tips will e...
Nov 03, 2022•6 min
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Putting the Puzzle Together for Point-of-Use Pre-Cleaning Compliance: Part 1". To hear more from this expert, follow us on Facebook and Linkedin, or subscribe to the Beyond Clean mailing list by visiting: https://educate.beyondclean.net/cleanfreaks or text BEYONDCLEAN to 22828 Do you know a #SterileProcessing expert who you'd love to hear from on our series? Or do you have a question for o...
Oct 29, 2022•2 min
Nothing that happens in our Sterile Processing departments happens in a silo -- especially when it comes to the reprocessing workflow of our surgical trays. Even though we know this truth, it can be difficult to see the impact each member of the larger healthcare team has on our daily mission: Sterile Processing, Vendor Reps, and the Manufacturer. How can these three perspectives align to overcome the reprocessing challenges we all face? On this week’s release of the Beyond Clean Vendor Spotligh...
Oct 28, 2022•46 min
On this CE-approved release of Articles On-The-Go, Hank Balch highlights one of those email faux pas you should avoid in SPD leadership: the CC Shotgun: "This mistake assumes that everyone needs to know something that really only one person needs to know. A good rule of thumb is to ask others beforehand if they want to be CC'ed regarding particular topics. Keep in mind, if you are emailing about an "issue" or error, taking the shotgun approach to CC'ing can come off as ganging up on a person or ...
Oct 27, 2022•6 min
On this CE-approved release of Articles On-The-Go, Hank Balch recalls what it was like leading his first SPD staff meeting and recounts some lessons to help you lead your next SPD meeting #LikeABoss: "You need to consider the fact that any meeting you lead may include some questions, concerns, or even "push-back" from those in the room (either your staff, OR counterparts, or administrative leaders). Find out who will be there, and try to anticipate what their objections or concerns may be -- the...
Oct 21, 2022•6 min
What impact does surgical instrument data have on the real-world challenges we face daily in Sterile Processing? Is it possible to increase efficiency and reduce costs in the current age of systemic staffing shortages? On this Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight™, we speak with MarBeth Petty, Instrument Implementation Manager with Symmetry Surgical, about how their team is empowering Sterile Processing departments across the country with powerful inventory data to make lasting, positive changes in the...
Oct 21, 2022•35 min
Off-site reprocessing and centralization is one of the hottest topics in the Sterile Processing industry today. With all the planning and coordination that goes into these mega-projects, how do you keep patient safety & instrument quality front and center? On this Season 18 "Investing in Instrument Safety," which is focused on getting our teams the time, money, and support we need to protect our surgical inventory, we sit down with Frances Strauss, Clinical Director, Perioperative Services a...
Oct 17, 2022•44 min•Season 18Ep. 3
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Case Cart Considerations". To hear more from this expert, follow us on Facebook and Linkedin, or subscribe to the Beyond Clean mailing list by visiting: https://educate.beyondclean.net/cleanfreaks or text BEYONDCLEAN to 22828 Do you know a #SterileProcessing expert who you'd love to hear from on our series? Or do you have a question for one of our current experts? Contact us at any time vi...
Oct 15, 2022•2 min
Frontline clinicians and the patients they support cannot afford to encounter non-functional instrumentation and equipment in the surgical workflow. So how do your Sterile Processing and Operating Room teams ensure your surgical equipment and instruments are fully functional, safe and consistently perform at the highest level -- every surgery, every time? Joining us for the latest Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight™ is Michael Matthews, MBA, CLSSGB, Director of Customer Training and Education at Agil...
Oct 14, 2022•33 min
On this CE-approved release of Articles On-The-Go, learn about how successful leadership sometimes looks like taking a step back from the daily flurry of activities: "Just as important as your department-wide meetings is scheduling regular time with your leadership team to discuss workflow challenges, shift dynamics, improvement projects, and staff development. The value of having a dedicated opportunity for your leaders to collaborate together without being pulled in a million different directi...
Oct 13, 2022•6 min
The big parts of instrument safety are kind of obvious. Buy high quality instruments. Treat them well. Thoroughly inspect every time. But what about the million other small things that need to happen to make these big things even possible? What are those critical prerequisites for instrument quality that must occur in our departments to enable our Sterile Processing teams to accomplish our mission for safe surgical care? On this Season 18 "Investing in Instrument Safety," which is focused on get...
Oct 10, 2022•33 min•Season 18Ep. 2
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Peel Pack Storage". To hear more from this expert, follow us on Facebook and Linkedin, or subscribe to the Beyond Clean mailing list by visiting: https://educate.beyondclean.net/cleanfreaks or text BEYONDCLEAN to 22828 Do you know a #SterileProcessing expert who you'd love to hear from on our series? Or do you have a question for one of our current experts? Contact us at any time via email...
Oct 08, 2022•2 min
