Beyond Clean Podcast

One may be the "loneliest number" in the lyrics of the classic rock band Three Dog Night, but zero is the number Sterile Processing professionals love to see in their departments. In particular, zero is the ultimate goal for teams seeking to reduce their hospital's Immediate Use Steam Sterilization (IUSS) rate. On this episode of the Beyond Clean podcast (with new 1 CE approval!), we sat down with...

How many of you have ever read a brushing IFU for one of your instruments and wondered to yourself, "Who spends 60 seconds actually doing nothing by brushing the distal tip of this device?" Out of all the steps that could be skipped or short-circuited during manual cleaning, brushing is the most likely offender. We see it on a regular basis during onsite assessments, and if you have spent any time...

All for one and one for all isn't just a slogan for the growing number of centralized reprocessing centers in the United States. More and more Sterile Processing leaders and technicians are experiencing the pressures of growing surgical volume, limited space, and health systems looking for more standardization. On this premiere episode of Season 9 of Beyond Clean, we talk with Lori Ferrer, BS, CST...

On this week's episode, Bob dives into the topic of finding answers (right or wrong) through social media groups. What are the critical things to consider when crowdsourcing information that you need to do your job? Tune in for more clinical education and training around #SterileProcessingSocialMedia . Have a question for Bob? Email him at: Bob@beyondclean.net #RealTalk #BobMarrs #BeyondClean #WeF...

As the backbone of most Sterile Processing workflows around the globe, steam sterilization is a massively important topic. And yet there are still pervasive misunderstandings across the industry regarding how and why our autoclaves should be tested, and just as importantly, when it is necessary to validate their performance. In addition to proper loading and use, a number of other aspects of care...

Laughter is the best medicine and brings with it a host of business benefits that can benefit your staff and your department. Join Lindsay for today's #GrowthSpurt to learn about simple ways you can ease the stress that comes with performing critical, life-saving tasks in Sterile Processing. Have a question or comment for Linds? Email her at: Lindsay@beyondclean.net  #GrowthSpurt #LindsayBrown #St...

Few materials in the world have come to define a Sterile Processing professional more than stainless steel. We are literally surrounded by it – our sinks are composed of it, our washers are encased by it, our assembly tables are covered with it, and yes – 99% of the tools of our trade are manufactured from it. And yet, even with this daily familiarity with stainless steel instrumentation, there ar...

The words 'biofilm' and 'disinfection' are commonly used in Sterile Processing departments, but did you know these terms are also applicable when talking about your hospital's HVAC system? In the healthcare setting, we often take for granted the air around us. We cannot see it, but we know it's there and it has the ability to carry dangerous microorganisms with it from room to room and floor to fl...

How did two guys who had never met, living on opposite sides of the country create a podcast what would take the Sterile Processing industry by storm in the summer of 2017? It had a lot to do with timing, a little to do with Linkedin, a good dose of bravery, and a whole lot of passion to provide a bigger platform for the kinds of conversations that matter to the medical device reprocessing industr...

Can you account for every implant screw and plating system within the four walls of your hospital? Can your Sterile Processing team efficiently and correctly validate, restock, and reorder consignment inventory? Or are you like the majority of facilities in the industry who are still struggling with tracking, billing, and inventorying these high dollar headaches? On this re-release episode of the...

TEE probe cleaning and handling is a hot topic of conversation, especially as more and more Sterile Processing professionals continue to reach out to clinics to standardize and automate the reprocessing of these devices. Decreasing the manual effort also decreases the manual error and on this episode of the Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight Series we speak with Kendall Ashe, VP and General Manager of...

On this week's episode, Bob continues his series on the sterilization process and talks specifically about the critical components of sterile storage. What are the things to consider to ensure sterility after the sterilization cycle is complete and before the tray is brought into the OR? Tune in for more clinical education and training around #SuccessfulSterilizationCycles . Have a question for Bo...

Are your ATP tests measuring what you think they are measuring? What is the real relationship between residual protein, dangerous bugs, and our mission to #FightDirty in our departments? For this re-release episode of Season 3 of the Beyond Clean podcast, we discussed these questions and more with Dr. Christine Greene, Senior Scientific Consultant & Regulatory Microbiologist at TSG Consulting. In...

In the healthcare setting, air matters. Humidity control is challenging, risky, and has big implications on patient safety and air quality is at the forefront of discussion as we seek more and more research on the aerosolization of viruses. On this episode of the Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight Series we talk with Jim Johnston and Jim Meacham, Principles at Altaire Systems, about their ADAPT line of...

Someday you may be asked to speak in front of your coworkers or members of another hospital department or even your peers at a conference. This is the first in a series of episodes about communication and public speaking. Join Lindsay for today's #GrowthSpurt on reading the room. Have a question or comment for Linds? Email her at: Lindsay@beyondclean.net  #GrowthSpurt #LindsayBrown #SterileProcess...

There is one theme that shows up in nearly EVERY surgical instrument quality breakdown headline to come out in recent years. That reoccurring theme is a lack of point-of-use cleaning in the OR and the many implications this oversight has on a Sterile Processing team's ability to #FightDirty with any success. For the first episode of Season 3, we bring on Lisa Wakeman, Sterile Processing Education...

If someone told you there is a way to process a total knee set in 1 hour 23 minutes vs. 4 hours and 7 minutes, would you hesitate? The tune of the conversation in healthcare has changed to that of resuming elective surgeries post-COVID and finding efficiencies is the only way to keep up with the increasing case load. What are the products that can help surgery centers and hospitals with both effic...

How do you get your Sterile Processing department's successes, updates, and requests in front of your hospital CEO, CNO, CFO, surgeons, Operating Room leadership, nurses, surgical technicians, and SPD staff? On this episode of Fighting Dirty, Hank talks about how to leverage the power of a department newsletter to shine a much needed spotlight on all the hard work your team is doing keeping patien...

Often times the most obvious ways to improve are the hardest to see. That's why teams of all sizes, in all industries, can benefit from an outside perspective. On this week's episode, Hank and Justin speak with longtime perioperative consultant, Paul Wafer, about the importance of efficiency and communication within a surgical service team. Paul's unique approach has benefited thousands of hospita...

On this week's episode, Bob continues his series on the sterilization process and talks specifically about unloading the sterilizer. What are the critical things to consider to ensure sterility from the moment you crack that sterilizer door? Tune in for more clinical education and training around #SuccessfulSterilizationCycles . Have a question for Bob? Email him at: Bob@beyondclean.net #RealTalk...

The mission of Sterile Processing is not one that can be accomplished alone. We need people throughout our healthcare facilities to back us, to support us, and to help make the case for improvements throughout surgical services--especially Sterile Processing. On this episode, we talked with Melissa Morgan about the importance of Infection Prevention understanding the detailed work and the level of...

Do you have questions about N95 mask reprocessing in your Sterile Processing department? Things like, "Why is cellulose such a big deal when seeking to reprocess certain masks in certain ways?" "Is there such a thing as "cleaning" a mask prior to reprocessing?" Well, we've got answers. On this bonus episode of Beyond Clean, we sit down with Janet Prust, Global Standards Director for 3M Medical Sol...

In this episode, Lindsay talks about the importance of surrounding yourself with people who will encourage you, support you and help you grow as a professional. Join her for today's #GrowthSpurt on curating meaningful connections. Have a question or comment for Linds? Email her at: Lindsay@beyondclean.net  #GrowthSpurt #LindsayBrown #SterileProcessing #BeyondClean #WeFightDirty™ Click To Subscribe...

The Emergency Department has a unique set of needs when it comes to instrumentation. The quality of instruments in kits used in the ER can vary greatly -- a common pain point for physicians working in this department at many hospitals. On this week's episode we talked with Dr. Patrick O'Malley, who has focused much of his time on researching reusable vs. disposable instruments and the frequent pai...

On this release of the Beyond Clean "COVID-19 Impact Series", we speak with Kate Lee, a director of Surgical Services in Florida and active Navy Reservist who was deployed to the frontline of COVID-19 in New York City. As the global voice of Sterile Processing we want to provide an outlet and conduit for frontline information and best practices to be exchanged as quickly and easily as possible dur...