STERILE PROCESSING
Thoughts on the future of SPD HPN asked those interviewed for the article for their thoughts on the future of the SPD profession.
Damien Berg, BA, BS, CRCST, AAMIF, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA) Berg acknowledged how healthcare facilities are “feeling the pinch” with increased expenses, decreased reimbursements and the need to stay competitive in the market with staffing, technology and capital expenditures to “meet the demand and needs of the patients.” He feels the SPD profession is in “a unique position to help with those challenges by being one of the key players in surgical/perioperative services.” “Providing medical devices when the provider needs them, ensur-
ing they are functioning appropriately and, of course, ensuring those devices are clean and sterile will all lead to the best patient outcomes and satisfied medical staff,” said Berg. “As a department, if you can do this then you have the leverage you need to show the hospital leadership that supporting Sterile Processing through retention, rec- ognition, pay and a positive work environment will pay off where it counts. It is a small investment into the growth of the facility and the care of the patient.”
Kim Hughes, Central Processing Manager, PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles “First and foremost, we as SPD professionals need to support each other – new people and people that have been in the department for years need help, need knowledge, and need understanding. We need directors that understand the why of what we do and the importance of education. We need the C-Suite to understand that while we are not a revenue generating department, we are important to patient’s outcomes. For the future generations, I think we need recognition that certification is important.” “There are some in other departments that do not understand
the complexity of what we do; it is believed that all instruments are washed and sterilized the same. This challenge is one that I feel that we can meet and overcome. We do this by communicating what we do and how we do it, by taking pride in our profession and increasing our knowledge, by helping co-workers to learn as much as we know, by sharing what we do with as many as we can in opportunities that we haven’t done yet, such as going to schools or attending job fairs.”
Monique L. Jelks, BA, MSOL, CRCST, Clinical Educator, Sterile Processing, WellStar Cobb, Vinings, Paulding & Douglas Hospitals “Executives who have the oversight of sterile processing within their facility require education for how the departments produce instrument trays and equipment for surgery, L&D, and all the minor procedure clinics/departments in their facility. Education for executives will support both current and next-generation SPD professionals. Their education will better support the SPD with educational opportunities, equipment, instruments and, finally, will fill and or open new positions to meet daily sterile processing productivity demands.”
Janene McGlynn, CRCST, CIS, CER, CHL, Sterile Processing Lead, Cleveland Clinic “The future of SPD is evolving in a grand way. A lot of the top per- formers in our field are talking about all aspects of sterile processing through social media and networking. It has been very rewarding to ask a random person on the street if they know what sterile pro- cessing is and more people now can give a solid answer than ever before. Engagement with community is starting to spark interest
38 June 2022 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS •
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in sterile processing, which is an awesome way to recruit people. I’ve been in the field for about 6 years and there is overwhelming positivity from those stepping up and doing things we used to think was a waste of time.” “I’ve seen so many people creating so many forms of media to share
with one another, and we are better at supporting each other within our field. I know there are techs that feel alone or can’t talk to their peers about ideas. Now, everything is at your fingertips. We are becoming voting members of AAMI, which we never thought was possible. Now that we are, our voices can be heard in the healthcare industry. It is a really good time to jump on that wave and bring change to you own department. So many of us have ideas on how to make our field better.”
Alessandra Nicholson, CIS, CHL, CRCST, is Founder and President of The Candray Institute Nicholson told a story that clearly supports the need for SPD profes- sionals to advance their knowledge around finances and take steps to become financially stable to avoid becoming victims of the system: “I worked in the SPD of a premier healthcare organization alongside
a man who came to the U.S. from El Salvador and worked his way up to a supervisor position after 20 years. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, couldn’t work to keep his benefits, and lost everything: he lost his home, his wife had to return to El Salvador, and his daughter has remained in the states unattended, no savings account, nothing to back her up. That made me want to take the rose-colored glasses off SPD professionals and teach them that they can’t just collect their bi-weekly paychecks and think everything will be great, especially because the job is so physical. They must think about bodily safety, financial safety and building stability outside of their jobs so they don’t become trapped in the system.” “And I believe the more technicians become empowered in that way, the less they will let practice issues go on because they won’t be in a position to do whatever anyone tells them to do. (For example), I don’t have to run the instruments without washing them just because you told me to because I can afford to lose my job. Maybe I have built up a real estate portfolio or have another source of income that will allow me to sustain myself while I look for a place that is in better alignment with what I know must happen in the industry.”
Lawayne Perkins, President of Consulting Services, SIPS “The future of SPD is going to rely on the investment in technolo- gies. Considering the incorporation of AI and other technologies it is imperative for healthcare professionals to acquire the skill set to be part of the hirable 10%. That’s expected to be provision by 2025. That is experts indicate that only 10% of the population would have the necessary skill set to meet the work the demand this would also include healthcare.”
Sean Weir, CRCST, CIS, CHL, Sterile Processing Educator, UPMC “We need to educate the high school of our profession. No offense by any means by this next statement: Nurses do not make the hospital run, it is run by many various positions from SPD, EVS, facilities and more. But if you ask someone what field in a hospital they know about, it’s a nurse. Walk down the street and ask people, they won’t know our profession. There are many folks out there that think they couldn’t function in a role within a hospital. Thinking about my last statement, (they) do not know about the other avenues in a hospital setting.”
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