Sterilization Station: A Sterile Processing Empowerment Podcast

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Send us Fan Mail Three sterile processing professionals share their journeys through New Bridge Cleveland's program and how it transformed their careers and lives. Their diverse backgrounds and experiences highlight the opportunities in this crucial healthcare field, from challenging externships to long-term career aspirations. • Participants include Charmaine (25), currently working in steri...

Send us Fan Mail We welcome new externs into sterile processing with a clear path: who you’ll meet, what you’ll hear and see, and how the workflow protects every patient. We share the zones, the expectations, and the habits that turn first-day nerves into reliable practice. • meeting your preceptor, technicians, supervisors, and OR staff • what you will observe on day one • sounds and safety cultu...

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Send us Fan Mail We launch a focused micro series on breaking into sterile processing with a clear path from student to paid pro. We share mindset shifts, externship strategies, networking moves, and practical habits that managers recognize and reward. • treating externships as long interviews • building a success portfolio with daily documentation • punctuality, professionalism, and attitude as h...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with journalist and communications strategist Kara Nadeau to explore how storytelling elevates sterile processing from unseen task to respected profession. Real cases, practical advice, and clear language show how SPD can win influence, resources, and safer care. • Karen’s path from PR to medical journalism  • Discovery of SPD’s complexity and impact  • Recognition gap...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with healthcare writer and strategist Kara Nadeau to explore how story, language, and data elevate sterile processing from unseen labor to essential clinical practice. Her insights show why words shape budgets, why collaboration changes outcomes, and how every SPD professional can be heard. • Kara’s journey from PR to medical technology journalism • Discovering the com...

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Send us Fan Mail In this inspiring episode, we sit down with consultant, mentor, and sterile processing leader Art Babiy to explore how sterile processing becomes more than just a job—it becomes a calling . From early setbacks and a personal infection story to a thriving career in consulting and mentoring, Art shares how consistency, commitment, coachability, and faith can transform not only your...

Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Send us Fan Mail What if the best metaphor for your sterile processing career is the making of a surgical instrument? We take you from raw steel to ready-for-surgery and map each step to the real pressures, choices, and habits that turn beginners into trusted professionals. We start with selection—the reason high-grade stainless and titanium are chosen—and connect it to the traits that help SPD pr...

Send us Fan Mail Think SPD is just “the place that washes trays”? Think again. We sit down with Sarah Vinson—a 25-year sterile processing leader, former HSPA board member, and data evangelist—to show how sterile processing becomes the backbone of surgical flow when facts lead the way. From robotics to complex imaging, SPD’s technical demands have exploded, and so has its potential to solve the pro...

Send us Fan Mail We break down how to turn minimal experience into a strong, clean resume that gets noticed for sterile processing roles. We share structure, examples, and practical tips to quantify wins, highlight coursework and externships, and frame transferable skills with impact. • reframing the resume as a marketing tool • what to showcase with little experience • certifications to list and...

Send us Fan Mail Dannie O. Smith, Director of Education for the Mid-Atlantic Central Service Association, discusses how preceptors shape the next generation of sterile processing professionals through mentorship and education. He shares insights from both sides of the training relationship, exploring the essential qualities that make effective clinical mentors. • Preceptors make or break new emplo...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Raynetta Stansil, Director of Sterile Processing and Surgical Services at the University of Illinois , shares her journey from surgical technologist to executive leadership and reveals how critical thinking transforms technicians into leaders. • Dr. Stansil's entry into sterile processing began when making friends with SPD staff during quiet trauma shift weekends • Critic...

Send us Fan Mail Robotics isn't replacing sterile processing technicians—it's revolutionizing how they work. Join Bill Rishell and global expert Babak from BIG Consulting as they explore the transformative impact of automation on hospital sterile processing departments. The conversation dives deep into how healthcare facilities are responding to four critical challenges: rising costs, st...

Send us Fan Mail The hidden $50 billion hemorrhage destroying hospital finances has finally been exposed. In this riveting conversation with  Christopher Salkowitz from RST Automation, we uncover how outdated sterile processing methods are creating a perfect storm that's forcing rural hospitals to close and burning out the dedicated techs who keep surgeries running. Drawing on groundbreaking...

Send us Fan Mail Alyssa Ellis, known as @beyondassisting on Instagram, transforms surgical technology education by sharing honest insights about the blood, sweat, and purpose behind the field that she once feared but now champions as both a certified surgical technologist and first assist. • Started as a surgical tech after accompanying friends to school who both quit within two weeks • Maintains...

Send us Fan Mail Shantel Berwald, a trailblazer in sterile processing leadership, shares her journey from surgical tech to SPD director and reveals how she's transforming department culture. Through personal experiences and practical insights, she demonstrates how effective leadership in sterile processing balances technical expertise with people-focused management and strategic vision. • Jou...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a patient needs an urgent endoscopic procedure at 2 AM? The answer might surprise you – and it's changing healthcare delivery across the board. Christian Escobar, VP of Marketing at Ambu USA with 30 years of experience in medical technology, pulls back the curtain on how single-use endoscopes are revolutionizing patient care. From critical care units to outp...

Send us Fan Mail Toxicity in the sterile processing workplace damages not just team morale but also impacts patient safety, retention, and outcomes. HSPA President Arlene Bush joins the podcast to share strategies for identifying and addressing toxic behaviors to create healthier department cultures. • Poor communication, blame culture, disrespect, and lack of leadership support are major contribu...

Send us Fan Mail Christian Escobar, VP of Marketing for Ambu US, brings three decades of endoscopy expertise to this eye-opening discussion about how single-use endoscopes are revolutionizing healthcare delivery across hospital departments. The conversation begins with a fascinating history of endoscope technology evolution, from hybrid systems of the past to today's fully disposable solution...

Send us Fan Mail Cliff Russell, operations leader with 27 years of experience, shares insights on turning chaos into clarity and redefining leadership qualifications beyond traditional credentials. His journey demonstrates how experience, process implementation, and continuous improvement create exceptional results despite conventional hiring barriers. • Building momentum after successful fiscal y...

Send us Fan Mail Jill Holdsworth, a certified infection preventionist with 15 years of experience, shares practical advice for parents on managing household cleaning and disinfection during childhood illnesses while maintaining a balanced approach to germ exposure. • Doorknobs and light switches are high-priority cleaning targets during illness outbreaks • Heat from the dryer is typically sufficie...