Case Medical is committed to continuous improvement and partners with local universities and community colleges to support their students with internships, and co-op opportunities. This partnership has served us well as we learn how AI and machine learning can be applied to our operations.

We are excited to launch the first episode of “The View from Our Window” — a podcast featuring women leaders in the Sterile Processing industry who have decades of experience as technicians, manufacturers and educators.

Water quality is a hot topic within SPD and there is a new AAMI standard ST108 that users now need to comply with. ST108 includes recommendations for scheduled water testing and monitoring as well as risk assessments to determine the appropriate water quality for the intended use.

Years ago, when we developed the SteriTite sealed container system, the healthcare industry was standardizing on wrapped plastic sterilization trays. They were light weight and came in a variety of colors with depressions that encapsulated an instrument. They looked nice for display purposes in industries like cosmetics, foodservice, and kitchenware.

Flash sterilization in the 1990s and even early in this millennium was used to rapidly sterilize surgical instruments in emergency situations, when unexpected delays backed-up the OR, or if a critical instrument was dropped before surgery. It was a way to keep the OR on schedule without necessarily considering the options. At the time, gravity displacement steam was the method of choice used in the OR to sterilize instruments.

Every person has a right to their opinion, but no one has a right to be wrong in their facts. It’s difficult separating fact from fiction, especially when you hear about it on the news or find it on the internet. 

Hands-on learning means learning by doing. Experiential learning environments provide endless hands-on learning benefits for all people, including SPD professionals.

Last month, Case Medical had another ISO Audit. We have them approximately two times a year, and it keeps us on our toes. As an ISO 13485 certified medical device manufacturer and an ISO 27001 certified software developer, a scheduled ISO audit and assessment ensures that we follow best practices...

I remember the years when our company sponsored the early morning round table discussions at IAHCSMM. When “vendors” and “users” met for coffee and discussed current topics that were relevant to all of us. 

The central role of the Sterile Processing Department (SPD) is to decontaminate surgical instruments for patient care procedures. By carefully following cleaning and sterilization protocols for used devices, the SPD plays a critical role in infection prevention. However, not all infectious agents are created equal.