Beyond Clean Podcast

Have you ever wondered how Sterile Processing professionals handle their jobs on the other side of the globe? Do they have similar challenges as your country? Do they implement similar solutions? On this episode of the Beyond Clean podcast, we reached out the President of the CSSD forums of South Africa,  Xana Jardine , to discuss an international perspective on Sterile Processing. Tune in to hear...

On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, Mike, Hank, and Bob talk about how infrastructure issues at a VA hospital on the west coast led to substantial delays and cancellation of various surgical and dental procedures for veteran patients. They focus on the important issues surrounding how facilities can plan ahead to guard against a "culture of catastrophe" as well as what the VA does right when...

On this episode of Real Talk w/ Bob Marrs, Bob gets down and dirty about decontamination, particularly the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) when completing your Sterile Processing duties. Tune in to hear about why your mask matters, what OSHA has to say about your dirty room, and catch a promo of the next Billboard Top 100 hits! #RealTalk #BobMarrs #BeyondClean #WeFightDirty ™ Cli...

The most valuable asset in your Sterile Processing department isn't your $250K cart washer or your $3.5 million dollar fleet of surgical instruments -- it's actually your people. So the important question is whether your department design is actually hurting your team. On this episode of Fighting Dirty, Hank gives some insight into the critical importance of ergonomics in Sterile Processing and th...

Although most Sterile Processing professionals around the globe have heard of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and prions, there are still many misconceptions around these topics and their importance in the context of Sterile Processing. On this episode of the Beyond Clean podcast, we talk to one of the world's foremost experts on the topic of prions and vCJD, Dr. David Perrett , Professor Emeritus of Bi...

What impact do broken surgical instruments have on patient safety, surgeon trust, and the bottom line of your department budgets? How about missing or misplaced instruments that cause delays in instrument reprocessing and turnovers? On this release of the new Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight series, we talk to Marcus Super about InstruSafe, the Sterile Processing-focused solution Summit Medical has c...

On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, Mike and Hank talk about an announcement out of Buffalo, New York regarding a free Sterile Processing training program for local students -- why it's awesome, and how this type of community investment will eventually lead to safer surgery. They also discuss a few of the differences between professional SPD training and the kind of on-the-job training that i...

On this episode of Real Talk w/ Bob Marrs, Bob speaks directly to our brothers and sisters in the Operating Room about the critical importance of pre-cleaning, and the truth about instrument turnover times. Tune in to hear about realistic timelines for cleaning, inspection, sterilization, and cooling for your turnover instruments! #RealTalk #BobMarrs #BeyondClean #WeFightDirty ™ Click To Subscribe...

Creating a great resume is one of the most important things you can do as a Sterile Processing professional who wants to grow. But many of us were never taught how to write a persuasive resume that says more than just when and where we worked. On this episode of Fighting Dirty, Hank discusses how to think about your own professional persona and gives tips on creating that killer resume you need to...

How is quality measured in your Sterile Processing department? And, perhaps more importantly, how would patients know the difference between a hospital with a high quality instrument reprocessing team or one still struggling to implement best practices? On this episode of the Beyond Clean podcast, we talk to Jeremy Gibson-Roark, Certification Surveyor with DNV GL, about how departments are impleme...

On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, Mike and Hank talk about a recent headline grabbing story from a California hospital regarding a retained surgical item, this time a 2" ribbon retractor. They discuss some of the potential root causes and talk about the kinds of things that Sterile Processing should consider in trying to help their partners in the OR. Tune in and join the cause of: #NoInstr...

On this episode of Real Talk w/ Bob Marrs, Bob explains how to approach challenging situations in your Sterile Processing department -- especially when they are not your fault (i.e. low staffing, insufficient instruments, inefficient processes). Great application for frontline technicians and leaders alike. Tune in to hear how to make it right in your department when it all goes wrong! #RealTalk #...

Sterile Processing professionals are the last line of defense for surgical patients. This means we have to be willing and able to "stop the line" when something unsafe happens in our departments. On this episode of Fighting Dirty with Hank Balch, Hank talks about one of the most dangerous and yet common practices in many departments today: double stacking multilayer trays during the washing cycle....

While manufacturer instructions for use (IFUs) are getting a lot of attention in Sterile Processing departments today, when it comes to chemical safety, you need to know exactly what your chemical's Safety Data Sheet (SDS) says. Did you know there's often important information in the SDS for using chemicals that may not be listed in the product IFU? On this episode of Season 5, we got Peggy Spitze...

On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, Mike and Hank talk about the latest announcement from Ambu A/S & Cook Medical regarding a Single-Use Duodenoscope that will be disrupting the US market. Cleaning, disinfection, and storage challenges surrounding endoscope reprocessing are some of the hottest topics in the medical device industry today, so this announcement is sure to make waves. This episod...

On this episode of Real Talk w/ Bob Marrs, Bob brings up one of the most shocking statistics in all of healthcare -- nearly 100K patients are dying in our hospitals each year. Why is this happening? And how do we keep the national conversation focused where it should be? Tune in for his passionate plea to keep this topic front and center -- where it should be. #RealTalk #BobMarrs #BeyondClean #WeF...

Shift huddles are one of the most important things you can do every day as a Sterile Processing team. But there are many departments out there who either don't do them at all, or do them all wrong. On this episode of Fighting Dirty, Hank gives some insight into why shift huddles matter and discusses a few tips on how to take your current shift huddle from good to great. Tune in and #ShiftYourPersp...

How dangerous are your insulated laparoscopic devices? How often are you performing insulation testing on them? Have you ever heard the full story on why these questions are so important? On episode 3 of Season 5, we invited Cheron Rojo , Clinical Education Coordinator SPD at Healthmark Industries, to discuss these critical topics and give us insight into the full scope of the problem. Tune in thi...

This week on Beyond The Headlines with Mike Matthews:  Mike and Hank dig into a recent CMS survey report that just hit the news and discuss findings related to Sterile Processing, Endo, and Radiology departments -- how you can prepare and how to get your hospital administrators more involved in your SPD. Important topics with lots of practical insight. Plus you can learn how to send hate mail to M...

This week on Real Talk with Bob Marrs:  Bob discusses why device manufacturers should lean over and give their IFUs a KISS, and how government can get involved to help Sterile Processing protect our patients. If we can't find the IFU or understand them, what good are they? #RealTalk #BobMarrs #BeyondClean #WeFightDirty ™ Click To Subscribe on YouTube ,  iTunes ,  Stitcher , Google Play or Spotify...

This week on Fighting Dirty with Hank Balch:  We are fans of Sterile Processing certification, but let's keep it in perspective. Certification does not always equal Opportunity. On this episode of Fighting Dirty, Hank lays out important aspects of the certification conversation, HR challenges, and the keys to real (quick) growth in the industry. #FightingDirty #HankBalch #BeyondClean #WeFightDirty...

Each year we see more and more technical colleges creating Sterile Processing programs across the US. What impact are they having on the job market and individual students who take that route into the industry? This week we talked to Densley Coke, Sterile Processing Manager at Northside Forsyth Hospital and Adjunct Professor of the Sterile Process program at Gwinnett Technical College, to discuss...

This week on Beyond The Headlines with Mike Matthews:  Another news headline about stolen surgical instruments - this one for $25K worth of endoscopes, just weeks after a similar $450K heist from a hospital in the same state. On our kickoff episode for "Beyond the Headlines" with Mike Matthews, we talk about why these stories keep coming out and what needs to happen TODAY in your hospital to fix i...

This week on Real Talk with Bob Marrs:  Bob discusses the background to regulatory focus on IFUs in Sterile Processing, and the real challenges with following them as frontline Sterile Processing technicians. IFUs - Manufacturer Instructions for Use #3 - A Day that will Live in Infamy #4 - Challenges, and Issues #RealTalk #BobMarrs #BeyondClean #WeFightDirty ™ Click To Subscribe on YouTube ,  iTun...

This week on Fighting Dirty with Hank Balch:  Failing a Sterile Processing certification exam can be a punch in the gut. How do you recover? What do you do next? Hank gives you 3 things to consider as you bounce back and keep #FightingDirty . For more insight and tips on how to pass your exam, you can read his article here:  https://bit.ly/2YzbBsD #FightingDirty #HankBalch #BeyondClean #WeFightDir...