Concerns from surgeons and nurses about the quality of our instruments forced us to determine the root cause of the issue. First, we had to find out if it was related to...

Sterile processing departments (SPDs) might not have the ability to dematerialize bioburden with a sci-fi-like laser beam, but the technologies and solutions available to today’s reprocessing techs are becoming smarter,...

Looking for a fun way to spice up your next staff meeting or in-service? Gather 10 to 20 needle holders that have at least one thing wrong with them — a cracked box lock, chipped insert, loose ratchet — and throw in a couple...

Efforts to keep your GI center running on all cylinders should focus on one all-encompassing goal: optimizing efficiencies. That’s according to gastroenterologist...

St. Cloud (Minn.) Surgery Center underwent a recent renovation to accommodate a steady increase in demand for outpatient arthroplasties. The center expanded...

It’s been a little over a year since Penn Medicine in Philadelphia opened its Interventional Support Center (ISC), one of the largest instrument reprocessing facilities...

The patient underwent a revision decompression with a two-level front-back fusion first thing in the morning and was up and moving about by evening. “That was definitely...

In 2021, St. Cloud (Minn.) Surgical Center performed nearly 1,000 total joint cases, nearly double the almost 400 procedures it did in 2020. This growth would’ve been...

There’s a lot to juggle at a busy health system with nine operating rooms in which an average of 50 surgical cases are performed each day. When it came to my attention...

Last-minute changes to the surgical schedule, surgeon requests or cases that require specialized instrumentation could throw a wrench into how smoothly instruments flow through your facility. Installing a whiteboard in the hall...

Instrument cleaning and sterilization is a complicated process rife with potential oversights and failures, so how can you be completely certain your facility’s tools are...

Days fill up fast when you’re managing a busy surgical facility, and it’s often difficult to remember — or find the time — to get out from behind your desk to connect with staff, see how they’re doing and answer questions they have...

Outpatient Surgery Magazine's eNews Briefs. Bringing you the surgical news you want.

The first step to ensuring your facility’s instruments are properly cleaned and sterilized is grasping the importance of the tasks and appreciating the hardworking staff...

Approach greening your facility as a strong and steady tortoise would, rather than a hare sprinting out of the box. “Build a strong foundation,” says Kaeleigh Sheehan,...

Hardworking professionals in ORs and sterile processing departments should respect each other’s efforts, but consternation between the two groups is often more common...

Outpatient Surgery Magazine's eNews Briefs. Bringing you the surgical news you want.

The reprocessing of flexible endoscopes involves dozens of steps that must be performed correctly every time by staff members who follow an airtight scope handling...

You’d be hard pressed to find someone who knows more about proper instrument care than Linda Gomes. The former surgical tech used to work in the sterile processing...

Reprocessing techs at outpatient ophthalmic facilities don’t often deal with grossly contaminated instruments, so it helps to alert them when tools are in need of extra attention before sterilization. “Enzymatic detergents...