the bygone age of sterile processing. Our decontamination rooms
aren't like the dish room in the cafeteria. Our washers aren't manu-
factured by Maytag. Our teams aren't automatons and our instrumen-
tation isn't like a bulk order of simple widgets.
Hard science goes into the chemistries of our detergents and steri-
lants. There are complex standard operating procedures that must be
supervised when processing small-diameter bronchoscopes and deli-
cate eye instrumentation. We have to manage data, track quality assur-
ance programs, and coordinate, document and distribute ongoing edu-
cation. We have to develop frontline experts. We're not flipping burg-
ers and we're not standing on an assembly line. We need trained spe-
cialists to ensure the highest standards and the most consistent quali-
ty. We need educators. We need instrument coordinators, OR liaisons,
quality assurance and database specialists. In short, because of the
complexity of our age, reprocessing departments need support.
An army of one
There are few challenges as widespread in our industry as the unsup-
ported reprocessing leader being forced to fight the battle for quality,
safety and service by himself. And although there are many assump-
tions behind such facility decisions, most of them are dangerously
mistaken. If you want to have the kind of sterile processing depart-
ment that is defined by excellence — which, in turn, provides the
safest patient care — then it must be supported by enough sterile pro-
cessing leaders to get the quality plane off the ground. Don't believe
the lies of the one-man-band, the leadership overlap or the penny-
pinchers. It only takes one person to take a stand for safety, but it
takes a village to raise a reprocessing department.
OSM
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 8 9
Mr. Balch (hank@beyondclean.net) is the principal consultant at Beyond Clean
Consulting.