Is the Sterile Processing industry actually running out of people? On this episode 4 of Beyond Clean season 13, we sit down with labor statistician and economist Ron Hetrick, Director of Staffing Products and Data at Emsi to discuss his organization's latest research & E-book entitled "Demographic Drought: How the Approaching Sansdemic Will Transform the Labor Market for the Rest of Our Lives." Have you noticed how difficult it is to find qualified technicians to hire into your Sterile Proce...
Jul 26, 2021•44 min•Season 13Ep. 4
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Steam Purity vs. Steam Quality." 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 t...
Jul 24, 2021•2 min
What do Michael Jackson, the Elephant Man, and instrument reprocessing have in common? Curiously more than you might think. On this episode 3 of Beyond Clean season 13, we sit down for a unique interview from across the pond with Matthew Peskett, Managing Director of Peskett Solutions Ltd and co-host of the Deconversations podcast to discuss his experiences working in the CSSD industry in 1980's London. Tune in to hear Matthew share his favorite memories, talk about how the industry has changed ...
Jul 19, 2021•38 min•Season 13Ep. 4
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Sterile Processing & COVID-19". 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...
Jul 17, 2021•2 min
Ever feel like the "pizza party" is the bare minimum the hospital can do to make you feel appreciated? You're not alone. In this episode of Articles-On-The-Go, Hank Balch looks at why the pizza party has become a cliche in our departments and what leaders should really be doing to recognize their teams: "So trust me when I say, this is not some kind of veiled attack against a menu choice. Instead, it's a frontal assault against lazy leadership , uncreative administrators , and an industry in nee...
Jul 15, 2021•5 min
If you're going to blow your instrument budget...go big and get data. On this episode 2 of Beyond Clean season 13, we sit down with David Kelman, P.E., President of Kelman & Company Consulting to discuss his unique background and perspectives on the topics of surgical instrument inventories, budgets, and financial conversations that regularly come up in your Sterile Processing department. Tune in to hear David address the common questions and challenges we get from administrators, physicians...
Jul 12, 2021•44 min•Season 13Ep. 2
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "What is Ultrasonic Cavitation?" 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 ti...
Jul 10, 2021•2 min
In healthcare, small changes in regulations and disruptions in supply chain can have a ripple effect on an industry. On this Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight, we talk with Christian Berling, VP of Sales and Marketing at Heine, about going back to the drawing board to manufacture the industry’s only reusable LED laryngoscope handle that can be sterilized without any disassembly with a validated low-level disinfection process. Protect your facility with safe reusable products that have financial and ...
Jul 09, 2021•43 min
Yes, we want our Sterile Processing teams to be productive. Of course we want them to be quality focused. But shouldn't we also want them to be...happy? Kicking off Beyond Clean season 13, we sit down with Brian Dolan, MHSA, CMRP, CRCST, CVAHP, LLSGB, Vice President Resource Management at Bayhealth Medical System in Dover, Delaware and the Healthcare Purchasing News "CS/SPD Department of the Year" award winner for 2021 to discuss his insights around cultivating a department of happy high perform...
Jul 05, 2021•42 min•Season 13Ep. 1
What potential harm could there be in a visit to your local clinic? More than you might think... In this episode of Articles-On-The-Go, Hank Balch examines the need for standards and guidelines in the clinic settings, and the dangers of avoiding them. // "At the end of the day, patients don't give a damn about data, they want to know whether their devices have been properly cleaned. And as providers, technicians, and consultants, that should be our guiding light as well, even if it takes an atto...
Jul 01, 2021•5 min
This special release episode of the Beyond Clean podcast features a recent Expert Series conference session with our Beyond Clean team members, Hank Balch (President & co-founder), Lindsay Brown (VP), Michael Matthews (VP), and Adam Okada (Clinical Manager) on the topic of making your Sterile Processing Network...work. The Beyond Clean team came together because of two things: passion and networking. But what exactly is a professional network and what value does it bring to a Sterile Process...
Jun 28, 2021•1 hr 5 min
In this episode of Articles-On-The-Go, Hank Balch discusses why you should care about one of the most recent hospitals to make national headlines for problems in Sterile Processing. "The impact of the recent dirty surgery headline in New Jersey is understandably shocking. But it reveals much more about our industry than we may like to admit..." #sterileprocessing #wefightdirty #infectionrisk #patientsafety
Jun 24, 2021•5 min
This special release episode of the Beyond Clean podcast features a recent Expert Series conference session with our Vendor Management Expert Jeff Wertz, VP Business Development at Surgio Health. During this episode, we paint the picture of a day in the life of a device representative – What are their priorities? What are their challenges? What kind of training do they receive regarding SPD activities? And the burning question: Why are vendor trays so often late? We promise you, this is not an e...
Jun 21, 2021•1 hr 3 min
This special release episode of the Beyond Clean podcast features a recent Expert Series conference session with our Enzymatic Expert Peggy Spitzer, A.A.S., B.A., MA.Ed., Clinical Education Manager at Certol International. Dive into the brewing debates in the industry related to cleaning chemicals! During this episode we talk about time, dosing, and whether or not its mandatory to use chemicals offered by equipment manufacturers in order to obtain chemical success. What is important for technici...
Jun 14, 2021•1 hr 3 min
This special release episode of the Beyond Clean podcast features a recent Expert Series conference session with our Manual Cleaning Expert Jamie Zarembinski, CCSVP, Clinical Educator at Key Surgical. Has manual cleaning changed at all in the last few years? Are we seeing more or less attention given to it by industry organizations? These are important questions to ask and during this interview, we talked about the people, processes and products that impact a tech's ability to be a high or low-p...
Jun 07, 2021•1 hr 2 min
This special release episode of the Beyond Clean podcast features a recent Expert Series conference session with our Gas Sterilization Expert Ted May, President & CEO of the Andersen Products Division of Andersen Sterilizers. We were all about starting the conference off with an intensely honest conversation around Ethylene Oxide (EtO)! During this session we discussed exactly where gas sterilization comes into the conversation around superbug outbreaks and patient safety. What are the most ...
May 31, 2021•54 min
This special release episode of the Beyond Clean podcast features a recent Expert Series conference session with our Steam Sterilization Expert Joel Schafer, CRCST, VP Engineering of Sterile Services, LLC. Science, physics, standards, testing, user compliance-- these concepts are all related to steam sterilization and this discussion is bound to make you sweat! Why are bowie dick tests important? What's the deal with IUSS these days? And something we are most excited about: What does the future ...
May 31, 2021•51 min
This special release episode of the Beyond Clean podcast features a recent Expert Series conference session with our Water Quality Expert Jonathan Wilder, PhD, Managing Director for the Quality Processing Resource Group, LLC. It's raining, it's pouring - water quality KNOWLEDGE! Join us for a discussion soaked in quality. We define some basic terms, talk about the ways water impacts our role in Sterile Processing and the warning signs that things are just not right with your water. Is your water...
May 31, 2021•1 hr 3 min
Are students a help or a hindrance in our Sterile Processing departments? What makes a good Sterile Processing school and how do we ensure we're making the most of externships for our hospitals and the students themselves? On this episode 8 of Beyond Clean season 12, we sit down with Adam Okada, clinical manager at Beyond Clean, Founder of Sterile Education, and Sterile Processing education superfan to discuss his insights around training the future of our industry. Tune in to hear Adam weigh in...
May 24, 2021•36 min•Season 12Ep. 8
What can Uber teach the Sterile Processing Industry? You might be surprised... On this Article-On-The-Go, Hank looks at the connections that we make in SPD and how technology can use our natural inclination toward social interaction to fuel innovation and interaction. "...In the world of SPD, I believe one of our greatest needs is for the best thinkers, the newest technologies, the ideas that are moving our industry forward to be put in front of the rest of us -- to engage with, think about, and...
May 20, 2021•4 min
When the team at Minidoka Memorial Hospital in Rupert, Idaho first set their eyes on collaborating with their Sterile Processing team to reach a breathtaking goal of a zero percent infection rate in their Operating Room, they still had many proverbial mountains to climb. On this episode 7 of Beyond Clean season 12, we sit down with Laura Clark, Amy Davis, and Kristi Clark from the Minidoka Memorial team to dig into the singular vision that united their entire facility to reach this goal. Tune in...
May 17, 2021•40 min•Season 12Ep. 7
What is a Sterile Processing "Interim Leader," how do you become one, and what experiences can you expect to encounter out in the field? On this Beyond Clean episode 6 of Season 12, we sit down with Warren Nist, CSSD Consultant, Evolved Sterile Processing Consulting LLC and IAHCSMM Foundation Board Member to discuss his extensive career as an interim leader, consultant, and Sterile Processing advocate. Tune in to hear Warren share his insights on the challenges facing interim managers when they ...
May 10, 2021•35 min•Season 12Ep. 6
As surgical volumes decreased over the last year and the need for additional PPE increased, the redistribution of blue wrap materials to fill the PPE supply need has caused massive supply issues. Now that surgical volumes are on the rise, the effects of that redistribution are begging the question: Is now the time to transition to rigid containers? On this Vendor Spotlight we speak with Barbara Ann Harmer and David Jagrosse about the misconceptions around the supply shortage and the environmenta...
May 07, 2021•27 min
Why can't we all just get along? What impact does drama have on a Sterile Processing team and how do these emotions impact both frontline technicians and department leaders? On this Beyond Clean episode 5 of Season 12, we sit down with Dina Budacan, Central Sterile Processing Manager and Decontamination Lead for one of Ireland's leading private healthcare facilities to discuss her recent article about how not to be annoyed in Sterile Processing. Tune in to hear Dina share her insight regarding t...
May 03, 2021•31 min•Season 12Ep. 5
What role does corrective action and punishment play in Sterile Services departments? If we're dealing with life and death, how many errors are too many for one technician or one department? Are these even the right questions to be asking? On this Beyond Clean episode 4 of Season 12, we sit down with Gordon Allan, Decontamination Services Department Manager at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, in the United Kingdom to discuss these complex questions through the lens of both leadership ...
Apr 26, 2021•40 min•Season 12Ep. 4
How do you build a Sterile Processing career that you can be proud of? What are the keys to earning the trust of your customers and the respect of your peers in our industry? In short, how do you make your career count? On this Beyond Clean episode 3 of Season 12, we sit down for a very special interview with Bob Marrs, BA, ST, CRCST, CIS, CHL, Vice President of Organizational Development at Beyond Clean, long time industry educator, speaker, advocate, and IAHCSMM Award of Honor recipient for li...
Apr 19, 2021•38 min•Season 12Ep. 3
What makes a great clinical educator? How should someone start preparing right now for a career as a clinical educator? On this Beyond Clean episode 2 of Season 12, we sit down with Marilyn Burns, RN, BS, CNOR, to talk all things education, learning, and the nitty gritty of how people interact with information in the clinical setting. Marilyn is the principal of MMBG Consulting, Director Portfolio Advisor-Surgical Services at Premier Inc. and spent many years as the Director of Clinical Affairs ...
Apr 12, 2021•31 min•Season 12Ep. 2
Where can you write on sterile packaging? Is certain ink really toxic and potentially dangerous to patients? Is this a practical conversation for Sterile Processing teams or purely an academic one for curious nerds? On this Beyond Clean episode 1 of Season 12, we kick off the season with Kevin Anderson, Clinical Education Coordinator for Healthmark Industries, talking about all things ink, markers, and packaging. Tune in to hear Kevin's insight on this discussion, and perhaps get some ideas of y...
Apr 05, 2021•35 min•Season 12Ep. 1
As healthcare professionals, we are no strangers to the complexity of flexible endoscope reprocessing. With different regulatory standards and IFUs to follow, it is hard to believe there is no clear direction to the process of drying internal endoscope channels--that is--until now. On this Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight, we talk with George Cronin, National Sales Manager at TRICOR Systems Inc., about the innovative approach his company is taking to automate the endoscope drying process. TRICOR Sy...
Mar 26, 2021•31 min
What's the big deal with a one-way workflow in decontamination? Is it really a critical aspect of infection control or just a common sense application of traditional manufacturing in the Sterile Processing context? On this episode, we spoke with Steven Sutton, Director, Planning and Design Group with Belimed, to discuss what department design & layout have to do with fighting dirty in the decontamination area. Tune in to hear Steven's insight into this SPD 101 topic, what his opinions are if...
Feb 22, 2021•32 min•Season 11Ep. 8
