There are few acronyms as formative for the Sterile Processing industry in the US than "AAMI." But how much do you really know about what AAMI is, how workgroups operate, and how we end up with standards such as ST91:2015 for Flexible And Semi-Rigid Endoscope Processing In Health Care Facilities? Back in Season 1, we got AAMI regular and flexible scope extraordinaire Mary Ann Drosnock to step up to the mic to answer some of these questions and give a few general insights into these well known, but often misunderstood, documents. 

Is chemical exposure hurting your Sterile Processing team? How would you know and what could you be doing to guard against it? For this episode of Beyond Clean, we invited David Hilliker to tackle one of the most important topics in our industry -- employee safety and chemical monitoring. If you missed this classic episode the first time, we are now able to re-release this blockbuster Season 1 content.

What drives you as a Sterile Processing professional? Why do you wake up every morning, drive to a hospital, put on scrubs, and labor in areas of the hospital most people will never see, for patients who hardly know you exist? On this re-release from Season 1, we talked to Nestor Hernandez about finding your voice and discovering your "why" as a Sterile Processing hero. There are no little people or little places in our industry -- every individual who commits to serving patients in the life-saving work of medical device reprocessing has an incalculable impact on the world around them. Tune in as we sit down with Nestor to learn...why.

AR, VR, and a whole lot more technology is coming soon to a Sterile Processing department near you! On this episode of Beyond Clean, we brought on the Inverness Disruptor himself, Pawel de Sternberg Stojalowski, Managing Director of Aseptium, to discuss augmented reality, virtual reality, and a host of applications for related technology that could make our Sterile Processing departments and teams smarter, safer, and more efficient. Tune in to hear about these exciting opportunities and maybe even get inspired to develop your own technological innovation that changes the way you #FightDirty in your SPD!

You've probably heard about enzymes before but what exactly are they and why do they matter to the decontamination and cleaning of medical devices? Are all enzymes created equal? Are more enzymes always better? On this episode of Beyond Clean, we continue the conversation with Peggy Spitzer, Clinical Education & Technical Support at Certol international, and zero in on the miraculous little enzymes that are likely hanging out in those bottles of detergent on the shelf or in your washers. Tune in to hear her industry insights from decades in the field and hopefully learn a thing or two about the mystery of clean!

How do you excellently service Sterile Processing customers who are located outside of the hospital setting, across the street or even in other cities? Back in Season 1, we invited Don Williams, current Regional Director of Sterile Processing for Kaiser Permenente, to talk to us about the terrific work his team had been doing regarding the centralization of processing for ambulatory surgery centers and off-site clinics. 

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"The Joint Commission has arrived." Five words that can cause even the most confident of Sterile Processing leader and frontline technician a mild anxiety attack. Is all of our documentation up to date? Have we checked every employee off on their ultrasonic competencies? Will they find any technicians using incorrect detergent dilutions? This fear of the unknown and the “what if” can be debilitating for many facility who seek accreditation through The Joint Commission. On this re-release episode from season 1 (which is the 2nd highest downloaded show of the entire Beyond Clean podcast), we talked to Jenny Manderino about how Sterile Processing teams can best prepare for these stressful visits and not be caught off guard. Do not delay, start your TJC preparation today!

If you had the opportunity to build a brand new Sterile Processing department, what would you do? How would you prioritize design considerations and what kinds of creative ideas would you employ to function within budget and space constraints? On this re-release from Season 1, we talked to Shawn Flynn and his team about their experience in a new SPD department in Palo Alto, California, and cover a few insights that may help others as they prepare for new construction or renovation in their own facilities. Tune in as we sit down with Shawn, who is now a member of our Beyond Clean Speakers Bureau, to have this important conversation.

How would you feel if one of your surgeons came down into your Sterile Processing department and it changed their mind about expectations, challenges, and opportunity for improvement for your team? On this throw-back episode from Season 1 (with new CE-approval!) we talked to Dr. Peter Nichol, Pediatric Surgeon at the University of Wisconsin Health and now Chief Medical Officer at Beyond Clean. This interview from nearly two years ago was our first introduction to Peter's passion for instrument processing, but it would not be the last. Tune in this week to hear where it all started!

If there were one tool that defined the role of a decontamination technician it would most likely be the surgical instrument cleaning brush. These unassuming weapons of mass microbial destruction are some of the most important tools in your Sterile Processing department, but they can easily be overlooked when it comes to creating policies, procedures, and best-practices that hardwire proper brushing of medical devices during the cleaning stage. On this Season 1 episode of Beyond Clean, we talked with Lindsay Brown, who at that time was the Clinical Education Manager at Key Surgical (now serving as the Marketing Manager at IAHCSMM) about everything from brushing technique to disinfection/ disposal policies. Tune in to hear this engaging interview about brushes, bristles, and the epicenter of cleaning!

Do your flexible scope leak tests "make the grade" or are they failing in more ways than one? Back in Season 1 of the Beyond Clean podcast, we invited Sara Freiberg, Clinical Education Manager for Northfield Medical, to dive into the details of compliant scope reprocessing -- covering everything from proper leak testing, to chemical usages, and sink sizing.

Sterile Processing? Yeah, there’s an App for that. On this Top 10 re-release episode from Season 1 of the Beyond Clean podcast, we talked to Adam Okada about the impact of mobile application technology on the Sterile Processing industry, education, and the future of professional networking. How can you leverage industry expertise right from your smart phone? Is there such a thing as an educator in your pocket? We discuss these topics and more in a unique conversation with one of a growing number of disruptors in our industry. Tune in, grab your smart phone, and listen up for some inspiration on how technology could change the way we think about Sterile Processing in the 21st century.

The topic of Sterile Processing salaries and compensation in the US always garners a lot of interest and buzz. One of the few publications that regularly addresses insights and trends on this topic is Healthcare Purchasing News (HPN). On this Season 1 re-release edition of Beyond Clean, we sat down with Kara Nadeau to discuss the 2018 CS/SPD salary survey she worked on with HPN, as well as her professional perspectives on healthcare writing for folks in the Sterile Processing community. Tune in for this engaging conversation with one of the most well known journalist in our industry and current member of the Beyond Clean Speakers Bureau!

This week on Beyond Clean we speak with Peggy Spitzer, Clinical Education & Technical Support at Certol International. Peggy is a Colorado native with over 30 years of combined experience as a healthcare provider and educator holding degrees as a licensed dental hygienist with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in adult education.  She provides education programs across the U.S. to Sterile Processing and APIC chapters focusing on helping clinicians use cleaning chemicals safely and effectively.  She is proud to promote education and certification in Central Sterile Processing.  Peggy is a past president, past secretary and current treasurer of the Rocky Mountain Central Sterile chapter in Denver, Colorado and also provides consulting to healthcare facilities and universities for chemical management & best practices for instrument processing.