When it comes to sterile storage, disorganization can cost a lot of money in inefficiencies and case delays, especially when critical trays are hard to find. On this Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight we talk with Phillip Van Gorp, President of Belintra Med IT and Storage Solutions about SMART-FOLD* STERISYSTEM®, a two-touch tray storage and transport solution, installed by Sterile Processing subject matter experts, that helps ensure sterility and provides a comprehensive, economical solution to comm...
Oct 15, 2021•39 min
There's no such thing as a static Sterile Storage area. Instruments are constantly moving in and moving out of the space. But that's not the only kind of transition that happens with this critical inventory step. As we continue with Season 14 "Sterile Storage Wars," we asked Juanita Burrell, Manager of Sterile Processing for Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago to join us for Episode 2 to discuss her story of transitioning from a cramped, challenged storage space to something of S...
Oct 11, 2021•38 min•Season 14Ep. 2
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Daily Practice With Manual Cleaning Tools". 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 ...
Oct 09, 2021•2 min
What do flexible endoscopes and poultry have in common? I think many would be surprised to learn that the chemical used to make these two very different things safe is the commonality. Peracetic acid is used in hospitals for high-level disinfection and liquid chemical sterilization and in the foodservice industry to disinfect meat products. The difference is in the dose and on this Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight we talk with David Hilliker, President and CEO of ChemDAQ Inc., about a chemical that...
Oct 08, 2021•44 min
How would you describe Sterile Storage to someone fresh off the street? What are those core fundamentals that every Sterile Processing technician, vendor, and visitor needs to know (or remember) about this crucial stage of the device reprocessing workflow? On this episode 1 kickoff of Season 14 "Sterile Storage Wars," we sit down with Randalyn Walters, Sterile Processing advocate and Corporate Educator with SpecialtyCare, to lay the groundwork for this season's educational theme. Tune in to hear...
Oct 04, 2021•45 min•Season 14Ep. 1
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Millions Of Bubbles". 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 ema...
Oct 02, 2021•2 min
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "The Myths and Science of Detergent Performance". 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? Con...
Sep 25, 2021•2 min
In this episode of Beyond Clean Articles On-The-Go, Hank Balch talks about the lessons we can be learn from the mistakes we make, instead of trying to hide them from each other. -- "We keep our error data to ourselves. We track different metrics, we use different targets, and for the love of all that is professional -- we keep the quality challenges in-house. What this means is that we have those damned silo walls so freaking high around our departments that only someone with a lot of nerve and ...
Sep 23, 2021•4 min
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Is the Annual PM Performed by my Sterilizer Technician, the Same as a Validation?". 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 ...
Sep 18, 2021•2 min
Event-related and time-related sterility are hot topics in healthcare settings, and rightfully so! These two concepts have different meanings along with very different implications for the practices in your facility. On this Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight we talk with Donna McLaughlin CRCST, CSPDT, CFER and Barbara Ann Harmer, Vice President of Clinical Services at Innovative Sterilization Technologies, LLC about real life examples of how event-related sterility impacts workflow and the importanc...
Sep 17, 2021•39 min
In this episode of Articles-On-The-Go, Hank Balch talks about his personal experience with whether or not time served merits someones opinions about the industry are valid -- "All this being said, I do believe that the closer our industry moves toward rewarding merit & speed first and foremost, the more of it we will see in our frontline technicians, leaders, and innovators. The more we listen to new voices and outside perspectives, the better equipped our industry will become to handle the ...
Sep 16, 2021•3 min
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Brush Styles: Why Have Them and What Do They Do?". 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? C...
Sep 11, 2021•2 min
In this episode of Articles-On-The-Go, Hank Balch talks about how creating and saving content could be a valuable way to spend time during the pandemic -- "The pandemic is already upon us. In addition to staying safe yourself, you should be thinking about all the moments in the past year that you told yourself you just don't have time to write, think, or record content about #SterileProcessing." #sterileprocessing #wefightdirty #contentbank #covidlessons
Sep 09, 2021•5 min
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Ultrasonic Checklist". 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 em...
Sep 04, 2021•2 min
In this episode of Articles-On-The-Go, Hank Balch looks what lessons can be learned from the the recent pandemic about how we can engage with our customers -- "The good news is that social media provides us with an engaging, safe, and potentially viral (in a good way!) platform to continue to educate and connect the Perioperative and Sterile Processing industries." #sterileprocessing #wefightdirty #covidlessons
Sep 02, 2021•5 min
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Can My Detergent Kill Germs?". 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 tim...
Aug 28, 2021•2 min
In this episode of Articles-On-The-Go, Hank Balch looks at the practice of double-stacking trays inside the automated washer and dangers associated with this practice -- "At the end of the day, this is not just about compliant processes. Ignoring the basic science of cleaning, turning a blind eye to nationally recognized industry recommendations, and shrugging off manufacturer instructions for use is not an option that’s available to you as a Sterile Processing professional — just to keep the su...
Aug 26, 2021•5 min
Managers come, managers go. Does your Sterile Processing team maintain your momentum through these leadership transitions, or are you left reeling with unfinished projects, unenforced policy changes, and broken accountability? On this final episode 8 of Beyond Clean season 13, we sit down with Michael Compton, CRCST, CHL, Sterile Processing leader and experienced interim manager and director to discuss the challenges and opportunities around that critical transition period when new leaders step ...
Aug 23, 2021•38 min•Season 13Ep. 8
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Can I Validate Just One of My Autoclaves?". 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 ...
Aug 21, 2021•2 min
Are bigger hospitals safer than smaller hospitals when it comes to surgical instrument reprocessing? The answer may surprise you... On this episode of Articles-On-The-Go, Hank examine this question and gives some insight into the industry as a whole. "I would say that it is a shame how little patients actually know about the surgical instrument quality issues they may be walking into for their surgeries. But it's more than a shame. It's a damn shame, and there is nothing truly informed about the...
Aug 19, 2021•3 min
You would assume if someone called you or showed up at your department door with a product for you to buy, they'd have a good idea about what Sterile Processing entails, right? ....right? Do vendors in our industry have their own orientation and onboarding like we do? On this episode 7 of Beyond Clean season 13, we sit down with Brett Norton, VP of Operations at Beyond Clean and long-time Sterile Processing vendor to discuss the importance of vendor education in our industry. Tune in to hear Bre...
Aug 16, 2021•47 min•Season 13Ep. 7
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "The Blame Game" 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 at:...
Aug 14, 2021•2 min
In this episode of Articles-On-The-Go, Hank Balch examines the strange practice of failed washer tests, and our response to them. Why aren't we recalling these loads? "... when we turn our gaze back to decontamination, we appear to give lip service to our own mantras and then shrug off verification failures as if sterilizers can overcome what we never really got clean." #sterileprocessing #wefightdirty #automatedwashers #recallloads
Aug 12, 2021•4 min
You've probably heard terms like "critical water" and "reverse osmosis" thrown around in inservices and certification textbooks in your Sterile Processing department. But do you have a real grasp of what kind of technology and processes go into treating the water that is used to wash, rinse, and create steam to sterilize your surgical instruments? On this episode 6 of Beyond Clean season 13, we sit down with Jeff Holland, Director of Health Sciences at Evoqua Water Technologies to discuss the ma...
Aug 09, 2021•39 min•Season 13Ep. 6
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Keys to Ultrasonic Success" 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 v...
Aug 07, 2021•2 min
How often do you get the chance to go behind the scenes with the people who are developing products that drive technology and the ability to meet the demands of the industry? On this Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight we interview Ben Fryer, Principal Scientist with Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP). Ben developed the ASP STERRAD VELOCITY® Biological Indicator (BI)/ Process Challenge Device (PCD), the first and only all-in-one BI/PCD designed for the STERRAD® System. Reduce risk, comply with indu...
Aug 06, 2021•32 min
In this episode of Articles-On-The-Go, Hank Balch shares some other important reasons that people might leave their current positions, besides toxic cultures and bad bosses... "If we want to stop this brain-drain and talent-drain from the CS/SPD industry, simply blaming bad cultures and bosses will never get us there. First and foremost, we need to honestly and earnestly take a look at the job itself, and get to work fixing all the reasons that great technicians are leaving our department in dro...
Aug 05, 2021•4 min
One of the most common "gotcha moments" for accreditation surveyors happens when they open up your department documentation around process challenge devices (PCDs) and biological indicators (BIs). Even though we all know this, fixing a broken process in the sterilization area can be a real challenge for both leaders and technicians. On this episode 5 of Beyond Clean season 13, we sit down with Jake McHugh,CRCST, CIS, CHL, CER, Instrument Tracking Coordinator at a hospital in Jacksonville, FL to ...
Aug 02, 2021•38 min•Season 13Ep. 5
On this week's edition of the Beyond Clean Expert Series On-The-Go, tune in for the conversation entitled, "Chemical Hide & Seek in SPD" 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 31, 2021•2 min
In this episode of Articles-On-The-Go, Hank Balch looks at white papers in Sterile Processing and whether they are accomplishing what they set out to accomplish. "...in the Sterile Processing world, I am going to say what 99.9% of our frontline professionals already know, and I dare you to prove me wrong --- no one reads white papers ." #sterileprocessing #whitepapers #socialmedia #beyondclean
Jul 29, 2021•5 min
