Beyond Clean Podcast

Robotic cases aren't slowing down—and neither are the demands on Sterile Processing. On this premiere episode of Beyond Clean's Season 32, "SPD Fact Check," we introduce your co-host for the season, Jaime Amaya, aka "The Robot Whisperer," as she breaks down what it really takes to keep robotic instruments moving safely through SPD. From complex flushing requirements in decontam, to ultrasonic sele...

Every #CleanFreak has seen them at least once—those mysterious black specks appearing in surgical trays with no clear explanation. But are they just a nuisance… or a warning sign of something bigger? In Episode 1 of our brand-new podcast series "What the Speck?," host Bobby Parker welcomes Alex Miseirvitch, Senior Product Manager for Rigid Sterile Containers at Aesculap ® , to explore the mystery—...

Stacks of vendor trays arriving without warning, stat turnaround instruments soaking in the sink, and techs scrolling through 100+ documents to find the right IFU… welcome to decontam! In this episode of "On Pathogens & PPE," host Jill Holdsworth and co-host Michael Matthews are joined by Trevor Hazen, Jake McHugh, and Katie Belski to take a closer look at what's happening in today's decontaminati...

Ask any #CleanFreak, and they'll tell you—endoscope reprocessing is one of the most complex processes in Sterile Processing. So how are you setting your team up for success? In this episode of "On Pathogens & PPE," host Jill Holdsworth and co-host Kevin Anderson are joined by Jennifer Leitner, Dyan Darga, and Emiley Body to take a closer look at the real challenges impacting endoscope reprocessing...

 Struggling with instrument shortages, case delays, and constant turnover pressure? What if one change could help you do more with what you already have? On this week's Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight™, Kristina Ketchum of Ketchum Konsulting shares how ONE TRAY®/IST is helping facilities streamline workflows, reduce waste, and keep cases moving without costly slowdowns. Kristina went from "ONE TRAY?...

Temperature swings, humidity spikes, HVAC failures, and water emergencies — oh my! In this episode of "On Pathogens & PPE," host Jill Holdsworth and co-host Benjamin Galvan are joined by Jonathan Wilder, Chase Elms, and Aaron Preston to explore how environmental emergencies can impact Sterile Processing operations. Together, they tackle real-world scenarios that can quickly disrupt workflows and t...

Think water is just water? Not in Sterile Processing! In this episode of "On Pathogens & PPE," host Jill Holdsworth and co-host Aaron Preston are joined by water quality experts Shane Sullivan and Jeffrey Paquet to break down why water quality matters and what the ST108 standard means for your SPD. Together, they explore key concepts like utility water vs. critical water and dig into what RO, DI,...

Robotic surgery is a game-changer for patient care — but what does that mean for the teams responsible for safely reprocessing these complex instruments? In this episode of "On Pathogens & PPE," hosts Jill Holdsworth and Rebecca Alvino are joined by Rebecca Peplau, Vanessa Frank, and Tamara Behm to tackle the most common challenges of robotic instrument reprocessing. From sinks that are too small...

Behind every sterilized instrument is a dedicated MDR professional. So, how do we support these professionals who make surgery possible every single day? On this season finale of Beyond Clean Canada, hosts Barry and Stacey sit down with the Canadian Association of Medical Device Reprocessing (CAMDR) President, Danny LeBlanc, and Secretary, Stephanie Mailman-Crouse, to explore how CAMDR is building...

Hey #CleanFreaks, pop quiz: When's the last time you washed your hands on the clean side, and should you have? On this episode of "On Pathogens & PPE," host Jill Holdsworth, co-host Rebecca Alvino, and special guests Ebow Holdbrook-Smith and Ivan Gowe dive into the gray areas of when, where, and how SPD staff should be performing hand hygiene. From identifying the critical transition points where...

Picture this: your steam goes down on a busy Tuesday morning. Cases are booked, patients are waiting, and your sterilizers won't run. What's your team's first move? On this episode of Beyond Clean, we sit down with Jennifer Greisen from Aesculap to tackle one of SPD's most uncomfortable questions: what do you do when your department can't sterilize instruments, and the clock is ticking? With decad...

Big news from ONE TRAY®! On this Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight™ episode, we're joined by Tim Tzimas, newly appointed President & CEO of ONE TRAY®/IST, along with Barbara Ann Harmer, Vice President of Clinical Services, to share two major ONE TRAY® announcements. Listen in to learn more about Tim's story and what inspired him to take the helm of ONE TRAY/IST. Also learn about ONE TRAY®'s secondary...

Building an MDR career is one thing. But leading education for an entire province? That's a whole different challenge. On this episode of Beyond Clean Canada, Stacey and Barry sit down with Tiffany Church, Clinical Educator for Medical Device Reprocessing across Nova Scotia Health, to hear how she took on that exact challenge head-on. Tiffany shares her journey from technician to provincial educat...

From the OR to SPD, those contaminated instruments are on the move, and so are pathogens! In this Season 2 premiere of "On Pathogens & PPE," host Jill Holdsworth and co-host Nicholas Day are joined by Rebecca Lauber, Kendall Ashe, Adam Okada, and Crystal Heishman to break down what really happens when soiled instruments leave the OR and make their journey to decontam. From point-of-use pre-treatme...

You depend on steam every single day to keep your SPD moving. So, when steam issues shut down your sterilizers, who you gonna call? On this episode of Beyond Clean, we sit down with Jim Carlock, Regional Director of Sterile Processing for Mercy, to talk about why your relationship with facilities management might be the most important partnership for your SPD. Jim walks us through how steam is gen...

Technical skills might get you in the door, but what does it actually take to build a lasting career in medical device reprocessing? On this episode of Beyond Clean Canada, Stacey and Barry are joined by Alberta MDR professionals Colleen Penman and Luke Siewert to talk about their journeys into MDR and what it takes to thrive in one of Western Canada's busiest hospitals. From navigating complex in...

Where are Canada's dental sterilization standards headed next? In this series finale of "Sterilization Standards Unpacked," we're joined by Leeanne Ismail, Clinical Sterilization Specialist at Solventum, to look ahead at the future of dental reprocessing. From digital traceability and rapid-read BIs to maintenance programs and smarter tracking tools, Leeanne shares how technology is reshaping safe...

Wet packs happen in every department. But how much do we really know about what causes them? This week on Beyond Clean, Jason Simon, Senior Product Manager at Skytron, is back to break down why wet packs happen and what you can do to help prevent them. Jason breaks down what's happening during the drying phase, why some loads fail to dry, and how operator practices, loading decisions, and equipmen...

Ever wonder how personal experience shapes the way we approach education and patient safety in MDR? In this episode of Beyond Clean Canada, Stacey Gielen and Barry Pickrem sit down with Lisa McKown, Manager of Research and Development at Beyond Clean, to discuss education, innovation, and what it takes to drive change in medical device reprocessing. Lisa shares her journey from the frontline to le...

Sterilization standards look a lot different on paper than they do in the middle of a busy clinic day. That gap between policy and practice is the focus of this episode of " Sterilization Standards Unpacked ," where host Sarah B. Cruz sits down with Nova Scotia Registered Dental Assistant Melissa Arnold to walk through what CSA-driven workflows actually look like in a typical dental office. From d...

You load trays and hit start on your steam sterilizer dozens of times a day. But do you actually know what's happening inside that chamber once the door closes? This week, we sit down with Jason Simon, Senior Product Manager at Skytron, to break down how steam sterilizers actually work—from air removal and steam jackets to exposure phases and drying cycles. Jason walks us through the critical role...

What really happens at the microscopic level when we talk about "clean" in dental sterilization? In this episode of "Sterilization Standards Unpacked," host Sarah B. Cruz is joined by Dr. Atila Nozari, Senior Medical Liaison at Solventum, to connect the science of microbiology with the day-to-day realities of instrument reprocessing in dental practices. From bioburden and biofilm to the evidence b...

Weight limits exist for every sterilizer and every tray that goes into it. But what happens when those limits get overlooked in the daily rush? On this episode of Beyond Clean, we sit down with Sterile Processing educator Carol Malone to explore what really drives safe sterilizer loading. From discovering chamber capacity limits you might not know about to creating visual controls that help your t...

Dental clinics may be small, but the expectations for safe, consistent sterilization are anything but. In this episode of "Sterilization Standards Unpacked," Warren Hiller joins us to explore how CSA Z314, Health Canada, and provincial guidelines come together to shape dental reprocessing across provinces. From dental assistants juggling sterilization tasks to the growing requirements for certifie...

Ever wonder why your "stainless" steel instruments keep staining and rusting? On this episode of Beyond Clean, we sit down with metallurgical engineer Michaela Kuba for an inside look at what surgical stainless steel actually is—and what it isn't. Michaela explains why that passivation layer matters and how factors like chlorine exposure, free iron contamination, and water quality can quietly sabo...