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GETINGE Infection Control
Volume 4
a73
Issue 3
a73
November 2009
A Message From
Changing the Culture in the SPD
the President
I
t’s widely believed that Plato,
F
or the past 18 years, she has seen and
done it all in the SPD. Today, Michele
DeMeo — SPD manager at Memorial
Greek author and philosopher,
Hospital in York, PA — is more convinced than
coined the adage, “necessity
ever that the key to effective instrumentation
is the mother of invention.”
and equipment processing resides within an
institutional culture that fosters continual
Certainly, some 2,500 years
improvement and strict compliance with the
later, few would argue the
highest level of quality standards.
point — especially within the
“Often, in our profession, senior hospital
current healthcare system that is
executives don’t fully appreciate the
challenged to serve the needs of an ever-growing
complexity of decontamination and
population that is living longer and expecting more
sterilization processes,” DeMeo noted. “I’m
out of life. fortunate that my hospital’s administration
With a U.S. census approaching 310 million, does. However, I’m aware of many instances
there is a tremendous necessity and sense of
in other institutions where SPD managers are
urgency in finding creative solutions to the well-
being asked to handle increasing loads with
documented problems plaguing the
older equipment that’s simply not up to the
healthcare industry.
task. At least not without a lot of upfront
Productivity, capacity, patient outcomes and cost
manual cleaning.”
containment are just some of the lightning rod
From DeMeo’s perspective, the challenge
issues that stir the current debate. And while the
goes far beyond equipment capabilities.
economics of healthcare often frame the
continued on page 2
discussion, it’s not necessarily the root of
the problem.
The fact is, the problem — if we can really call it
that — is that life expectancies continue to increase.
It’s estimated that by the year 2020, more than
Mom Sews Best
50 million Americans will be 65 or older — up from
35 million in the year 2000.
In reality, the biggest challenge facing healthcare
professionals is meeting heightened expectations
H
er friends and family know that
Nancy Berens loves to sew. But
all her experience didn’t fully
among seniors that advancements in medical
prepare Getinge’s Eastern Region
Branch Service Manager for the call
technology, pharmacology and healthcare will help
she received from her daughter asking
delay or reverse the effects of the aging process. In
her mother to sew an American flag.
many respects, the healthcare profession is a victim
Nancy’s daughter, United States Air
of its own success.
Force First Lieutenant Kate Miles, was
If 80 is to become the new 50, then healthcare
being deployed to Afghanistan from
providers and companies like Getinge who serve
her base in Indiana. She reasoned that
them, must be well equipped to handle the a hand-sewn flag from her mom would
increasing needs of a graying population. bring her good luck.
For our part, Getinge will continue to offer best-
When Nancy heard the request, she
of-class integrated solutions — a long-term
chuckled on the phone and responded: “Who
commitment embodied in the promise of “always
do you think I am, Betsy Ross?” She then
with you” — to make it just a little easier for you to
immediately got to work doing some on-line
always be with them. a73
research before tackling the challenge.
Andy Ray
The project wasn’t as easy as it seemed, even for an experienced quilter
President
and seamstress.
Getinge USA, Inc.
continued on page 2
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