Beyond Clean Podcast

If you're not advocating for your department, who will? It's time to speak up—Texas style! On this week's episode of Everything is Cleaner in Texas , Hank Balch flips the mic to talk with host Dusty Glass about the real-world challenges of advocating for your department—especially when upper leadership thinks everything is just fine. From sharpening your communication skills to knowing when (and h...

What happens when only one person in your department knows how to reprocess a certain tray? Or find the IFU for that rarely used scope? Or figure out why the cart washer stopped working—again? On this season finale episode of Beyond Clean's Planet Decontam, Angela Russell joins us to tackle the real dangers of tribal knowledge in decontam. From unwritten workflows and on-the-fly training to the da...

On this episode of our StreetClothes podcast series, we talk to two healthcare professionals who find comfort, creativity, and a little pinch of calm in the art of baking. Whether it's homemade bagels, a failed bundt cake, or family traditions passed down through generations, these self-taught bakers have each discovered their own flavor of joy in the kitchen. Tune in to hear how Vanessa Frank & C...

SPD leaders don't just manage—they mentor, motivate, and make big things happen. And in Texas, that's how it's done! This week, host Dusty Glass sits down with Felicia Sheriff for a heart-filled conversation about what it really means to lead with purpose in Sterile Processing. From creating a culture of trust to redefining employee onboarding and training, Felicia shares her tried-and-true strate...

Time to suit up, #CleanFreaks—because this week we're tackling the real-world challenges of PPE! Join us as we sit down with Marcus Super from Mastel Surgical to explore what makes personal protective equipment truly essential in decontam. From one-size-fits-none challenges to breakthrough PPE innovations, Marcus explains why the right PPE is about more than just checking boxes—it's about keeping...

Saddle up, #TexasCleanFreaks–because this week we're tackling one of the sneakiest budget-busters in SPD—power equipment failures! Join Dusty Glass as he sits down with Elvis Lormeus, Corporate Product Manager at STERIS, to dive into the hidden dangers behind equipment breakdowns in Sterile Processing. You'll discover how small missed steps in reprocessing can lead to major power equipment failure...

From missing instruments to delayed trays, delivering safe, on-time instrumentation is no easy feat. In this exciting series finale episode from our "Process Better" series, Mike Andresen, Director of Business Development at Medline, takes us inside the full scope of end-to-end instrument support—and the strategies that make it all work. From vendor partnerships to internal process improvement, Mi...

A tiny needle. A missed burr. A hidden blade at the bottom of the sink. These aren't just near misses—they're real exposure risks facing techs in decontam every day. So, how prepared is your team to respond? This week, we're joined by Garrett Hollembeak, infection preventionist and Editor-in-Chief of Transmission Control, to explore pathogen exposure through the eyes of an IP. From bloodborne path...

On this episode of the StreetClothes podcast series, we talk to a healthcare professional whose passion project is generating some serious buzz in his own backyard! With 31 hives and counting, this busy bee has discovered the joy—minus the occasional sting—and the liquid gold rewards of working with nature's busiest pollinators. Tune in to hear how Cody Troutt's adventures in beekeeping bring the...

On this week's episode of Everything is Cleaner in Texas , we're wrangling one of the toughest, sneakiest outlaws in SPD — the one and only biofilm! Join host Dusty Glass as he sits down with STERIS's Amy Williams to break down how this invisible threat forms, spreads, and sticks around longer than it should. From point-of-use cleaning to the risks of dried-on bioburden, Amy shares practical insig...

From the shelf to the sterile field, smart inventory makes all the difference! In this week's new episode from our "Process Better" series, Tracy Smith, National Market Sales Director at Medline, takes us inside the everyday realities of supply management across SPD and the OR. From improving pick accuracy to staying ahead of expirations, Tracy shares practical strategies to help teams bring struc...

Three turns of a screw could be the difference between a clean instrument and a dangerous infection risk—yet how do we know which instruments actually need to come apart in decontam? On this episode of Beyond Clean's Planet Decontam, we welcome the new President of HSPA, Arlene Bush, to weigh in on the critical debate around instrument disassembly during manual and automated cleaning. From navigat...

From east to west and everywhere in between, no one's seen it all quite like Ron Hunsucker. In this week's episode of Everything is Cleaner in Texas , we sit down with the legendary "Cowboy of Clean" to talk shop on everything from certification journeys to culture shifts in Sterile Processing. With four decades of boots-on-the-ground experience, Ron shares the wins, the lessons, and the leadershi...

Set assembly might seem routine, but it's one of the most critical opportunities to ensure instrument accuracy and performance. So, how do you create a process that supports accuracy without slowing down your team? In this episode of our "Process Better" series, Tory Teakell, Clinical Solutions Manager at Medline, walks us through the essential role of assembly and inspection—and how purposeful au...

Hey #CleanFreaks -- What if the dirtiest surface in your SPD's decontam isn't at your workstation, but on the floor you're standing on? This week, we welcome infection prevention expert Ericka Kalp to expose the hidden dangers lurking on the surface of your SPD's floors—and why ignoring them could be putting your patients and your team at risk. From selecting the right disinfectants to establishin...

On this episode 4 of the StreetClothes podcast, we talk to Lindsay Brown, a Minnesota clinician who has a passion project unlike any other! Not only does she know where babies come from (every child's eternal question), she also knows how clinical expertise beautifully combines with nurturing care during life's very first moments.  Tune in to hear how Linds's work as a doula brings comfort and adv...

Across the great state of Texas and beyond, Sterile Processing pros are sharpening their skills, building confidence, and making a real impact where it matters most – patient safety. In this week's episode of Everything is Cleaner in Texas , hosts Hank Balch and Dusty Glass team up with Kurt Van Sickel, Program Director and Career Coach at Good Works Collective, to spotlight the power of professio...

Instrument damage is more than just a headache—it's costly, disruptive, and far more common than most realize. So, how can we prevent it before it even happens? In Episode 2 of our "Process Better " series, Tory Teakell, Clinical Solutions Manager at Medline, joins us to explore the most common causes of instrument damage across surgical workflows— and how better care, handling, and training can r...

Three bays, two basins, or one compliance nightmare? When it comes to your decontam sinks, the wrong setup doesn't just slow you down – it can send your entire workflow underwater! On this episode of Beyond Clean's Planet Decontam, Jessie Lopez joins us to break down why the proper sink setup can make or break your entire reprocessing cycle. From missing rinses and awkward sink setups to chemical...

Everything's bigger in Texas—and that's especially true in the Texas Medical Center, where the pace never slows and the pressure is always on! In this episode of Everything is Cleaner in Texas , hosts Hank Balch and Dusty Glass sit down with Anna Castillo-Gutierrez for a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to work inside one of the most complex, high-volume medical centers in the country. Fro...

What started as a podcast quickly became a global platform for Sterile Processing education—and in our Season 1 finale, we're sitting down with the man behind the mic, the #OriginalCleanFreak himself, Hank Balch. As the Co-Founder and President of Beyond Clean, Hank takes us behind the scenes of how one idea—offering free, accessible Sterile Processing educational content—has reshaped how frontlin...

Point-of-use cleaning is one of the most critical—and most often missed—steps in the reprocessing cycle. So, how do we build workflows that keep this step front and center? In this premiere episode of our exclusive new podcast series "Process Better," Tory Teakell, Clinical Solutions Manager at Medline, helps us redefine what effective point-of-use cleaning really looks like. From aligning with cu...

Picture it: You're standing in decontam, 10 case carts deep, trying to track down the right IFU—and the OR rushes in with a STAT turnaround tray. In this moment, memory, speed, and accuracy collide—and compliance is put to the test! On this week's episode of Beyond Clean's Planet Decontam, Art Babiy joins us to tackle the real-world challenges hidden inside instrument IFUs. From real-time access i...

On this episode 3 of our brand new StreetClothes human-interest podcast series, we talk to two healthcare professionals who have a passion project that's far from fowl play! Not only have they created their own backyard flock of feathered friends, they've also cracked the code for beating those sky-high egg prices! Tune in to hear how Sean Weir & Stacey Gielen became known as the "Chicken Tenders"...

Y'all ready for this? We're kicking off our brand-new podcast series, "Everything is Cleaner in Texas," sponsored by STERIS IMS, with a big, bold look at the future of chapter education in the Lone Star State! In this premiere episode, hosts Hank Balch and Dusty Glass team up to share the vision behind Houston's newly relaunched chapter—and the powerful role that education, networking, and innovat...