Below the Hospital

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: A...

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.

Infections from contaminated endoscopes or duodenoscopes can be hard to track and lethal. But new research on endoscope processing may provide a way for sterile processing professionals to deal with biofilm buildup in the SPD. Daniel Lightfoot of Nanosonics joins Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. to discuss research that he recently presented at HSPA 2026, and his findings on a bette...

The medical field is a massive producer of waste. But sustainability practices can help combat this problem without compromising on patient safety. Marcia Frieze of Case Medical joins us this week to talk about environmental safety, the potential of enzymatic detergents, and how you can contribute to the state of the art in sterile processing. Disclaimer: Case Medical is a manufacturer of enzymes.

Delores O'Connell of STERIS joins host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. to discuss the how and why of equipment planning in sterile processing. Learn how to future-proof your facility, what it takes to design a new one, and how you can work with other departments in your workplace like clinical engineering.

When sterile packaging fails, SPD pays the price. Sade Brown, PhD, R&D engineer and scientist with global healthcare solutions company Owens & Minor, joins host Garland Grisby Sr. to discuss the science behind sterile packaging and how to combat common issues like loss of sterile barrier integrity, and wet packs.

Rebecca Peplau, Clinical Education specialist at Healthmark joins host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. to chat about what today’s sterile processing professionals need the most. The answer? Clear guidance, ongoing education, and stronger support systems.

Margaret Gilman of Nemours Children’s Health joins host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. on Below the Hospital to discuss her research on the importance of a 14-day hang time for endoscopes. Not only does a 14-day hang time protect your patients and save your facility money – Gilman’s work with her colleagues is a great blueprint for sterile processing professionals looking to conduct their own assessments...

AI is here, but what does that mean for professionals in the SPD? Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. talks with Salmaan Hameed of BH2 Innovations about what big data and AI can do, what they can’t do, and how they are likely to change maintenance, analytics, and facility operating costs throughout the sterile processing field. Show Notes : 1. Salmaan Hameed on LinkedIn: https://www.li...

Kathy McMullen, Executive Director of Infection Prevention and Sterilization at Mercy, joins Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. to chat about her work as an infection preventionist and the best practices for processing ultrasound probes. Learn about the low-level disinfection process for the typical ultrasound probe, the science behind it, and how infection preventionists can be your...

Do soft skills like emotional intelligence matter in technical fields like sterile processing? According to DB Bedford, the answer is ‘yes.’ DB Bedford, workplace civility strategist at Ei365, joins host Garland-Rhea Grisby to chat about how emotional intelligence is fundamental to “mission-critical” fields like sterile processing. Of all the soft skills, emotional intelligence, and its components...

Scott Eddy is 43-year veteran of the sterile processing profession with a wealth of stories to share. He joined Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. to discuss what he wishes he had known when he started, his favorite parts of the job, and the importance of speaking up on behalf of the patient and the team.

Nupur Jain of Intuitive Surgical joins Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. to discuss surgical robotics, manufacturer instructions for use, and patient safety. Editor’s Note: This episode was recorded during the 2025 celebration of Sterile Processing Week. A special thanks to everyone who works within, or below, the hospital to keep patients safe and healthy.

ANSI/AAMI ST79, the standard that provides guidance on steam sterilization and sterility assurance, is being revised! Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby catches up with Mary Ann Drosnock, co-chair of the working group responsible for the revision. Find out why the standard is being updated, how sterile processing professionals are key to the process, and how you can help! Show Notes : 1....

According to Sherah Bateman, infection control is your friend in the SPD. Join her and Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. as they discuss healthcare-acquired infections, staying survey-ready, and what infection control and prevention staffers look for when they enter your sterile processing department.

You probably already use standards in your work in sterile processing. But do you have questions about how standards and how they are meant to be used? AAMI VP of Sterilization Amanda Benedict joins host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. to talk about how standards are made, what they can and cannot do, and how standards can provide a step up for sterile processing professionals.

Cori Ofstead of Ofstead and Associates joins us to discuss her research paper “Impact of Borescope Inspections on Endoscope Repair Frequency and Costs.” This landmark research shows the correlation of using borescopes to inspect endoscopes with cost and time savings. Inspections were also found to support the quality of patient care, as they allowed SPD staff to discover issues before they became...

VCU Health just finished its 200,000th borescope inspection. Frank Daniels of VCU Health joins Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. how he founded VCU’s high-level disinfection unit, how the unit has implemented borescope inspections, and how continuous improvement and rigorous training keep the program focused on patient safety.

“I’m seeing something, what is it?” This is the most common question Andy Sundet of Clarus Medical gets from SPD professionals who use borescopes. Andy just joined Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby to talk about what it takes to make sure your borescope program is safe, effective, and ultimately helps patients. References : 1. Clarus Medical: https://clarus-medical.com/ 2. Clarus Medical...

“We’re allies, not auditors.” Melinda Benedict, Director of Infection Prevention & Control at Olympus, joins Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. to discuss the infection preventionist’s perspective and how they can make your life easier. Join them for a spirited discussion on how infection prevention's role in the SPD, plus an in-depth update on endoscope reprocessing, IFU use,...

“Hey just take this up the street.” Transporting medical devices before or after sterilization is more and more common, but how do you do it correctly? Horlando Cintron, Manager of Perioperative Support Services at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, joins host Garland Grisby to discuss best practices, some war stories, and how AAMI TIR109:2025; External transport of reusable medical devices f...

AAMI recently updated ST58, our guidance document on chemical sterilization and high-level sterilization in health care facilities. To understand what this means for you in the sterile processing department, Garland-Rhea Grisby spoke to Alpa Patel, Director of Scientific Improvement at Nelson Labs. Find out how the standard has changed, and what it means for training, quality control, and using st...

What happens when tattoo equipment ends up in the SPD? Jennifer Greisen of Aesculap and Adam Okada of Healthmark join Garland to discuss the wild west of processing the tools used for medical tattooing. There isn’t much official guidance. But Greisen and Okada are convening sterile processing professionals, tattoo device manufacturers, and tattoo artists to provide the first-ever AAMI guidance on...

Tim Hurtado of El Camino Health joins Garland to discuss how the sterile processing department (SPD) can work with clinical and non-clinical partners. If you’ve ever faced staffing shortages, issues with vendors, or siloing within your health facility, check out this episode to learn some best practices for managing these issues and relationships.