How Training and Certification Make a Stronger SPD

What does it take to build a competent sterile processing team? In part two of his conversation with Malinda Elammari, host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr., digs in on education, certification, and competency in the sterile processing department (SPD).

How does sterile processing training affect patient safety, and what does it take to give SPD teams the tools they need? On this episode of Below the Hospital, Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. welcomes back Malinda Elammari, CEO and founder of Crown Point Consulting, to discuss the skills, knowledge, and training that sterile processing professionals need to succeed.

Why do some instructions for use (IFUs) make sense to manufacturers but not to sterile processing teams? On this episode of Below the Hospital, host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. speaks to Samantha Hodge, co-owner and managing director of O'Dell & Hodge Consulting and co-chair of AAMI Working Group 15, about what happens to a medical device before it ever reaches the sterile processing department and dealing with special end of life cases like exposure to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).

Alpa Patel of Nelson Labs joins Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby to discuss her study alongside colleague Daniel Olsen on the impact of end-of-life processing for reusable medical devices. Since sterile processing professionals lack guidance on what constitutes the end-of-life threshold, it is critical to understand which devices can withstand reprocessing and that end-of-life depends on how often a device is reprocessed. Read the paper at BI&T: https://array.aami.org/doi/10.2345/0899-8205-59.1.128

Alex Hilliker of ChemDAQ joins Garland-Rhea Grisby to discuss chemical monitoring in the sterile processing department and how applying ANSI/AAMI ST58 can help keep you and your employees safe from overexposure to chemicals like vaporized hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, and glutaraldehyde.Disclaimer: ChemDAQ manufactures sensor technology used for chemical monitoring.

Martell Winters, Director of Scientific Competency at Nelson Labs, joins Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. to discuss radiation sterilization. Check out their conversation on bioburden type and testing, material selection for medical devices, and the factors to consider when selecting different radiation sterilization modalities.

Tanya Magaña, Supplier Excellence Engineer for Packaging at Solventum, joins Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. on the Below the Hospital podcast to discuss how packaging engineers impact your work in the sterile processing department, and the importance of the design and testing process for the sterile packaging that keeps patients safe.

Ted May, CEO of Andersen Sterilizers, joins Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. on Below the Hospital to discuss ethylene oxide, its role in sterile processing, and how it remains a useful, niche sterilization modality. Plus, a discussion of the scientific process behind combating CRE outbreaks and what it took to obtain terminal sterilization clearance under the FDA’s duodenoscope requirements. Disclaimer: Andersen Products distributes and services gas sterilization products manufactured by Andersen Sterilizers, Inc. Andersen Sterilizers manufactures its products in North Carolina.

Kenneth Campbell joins Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby for part two of their conversation about steam sterilization, how to apply ANSI/AAMI ST79 in your facility, and share stories about overfilled trays and wet packs.

Kenneth Campbell, veteran, educator, standards developer, and HSPA Fellow, joins Below the Hospital host Garland Grisby Sr. to discuss steam sterilization in the SPD, why ST79 matters, and how to avoid nightmare scenarios like wet packs.