Sterile Processing

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Is your Sterile Processing Department impacting your ability to deliver on time performance in your operating room?

Do your sterilization practices meet the recommended practices of AORN and the AAMI guidelines?

If you cannot answer these questions with certainty, perhaps it is time to have a quality audit of your sterile processing department performed.

The Instrument Processing Continuum
Alpha Consulting Group, Inc. will review the entire sterile processing continuum, ensuring that you have consistent, reproducible procedures in the following areas:

• Decontamination
• Tray preparation
• Tray inventory and assembly
• Special/loaner tray procedures
• Sterilization procedures with all modalities
• Flash sterilization
• Instrument and sterilization equipment maintenance
• Container system maintenance
• Video and power equipment handling

Case Cart Preparation

• Who prepares the case carts for your surgeons?
• Are you using the right mix of personnel?
• Do you have the right processes in place to ensure you get the right supplies for the scheduled case every time?
• Who is responsible for updating the preference lists?
• Do you have a standardized approach to keeping all preference lists maintained on a regular basis?

By starting with the scheduling process, Alpha Consulting Group, Inc. reviews all processes that can have an effect on which supplies are delivered to a room for a case.  We will also review inventory management procedures, charging processes and cost control efforts.

Communication
How well does the OR and Sterile Processing areas communicate with one another?
Alpha Consulting Group, Inc. will assess the methods of communication between Sterile Processing and its user departments and make recommendations.

Staff Development and Education
Do the sterile processing personnel get the education and training they need to do their job right?

Alpha Consulting Group, Inc. will work with your leadership to develop an educational needs assessment for sterile processing personnel.  We can also assist with redefining job duties and descriptions, based on the results of the assessment.

Case In Point:
Alpha Consulting Group, Inc. was asked to perform an operational assessment of the sterile processing department of a multi-hospital system with 3 hospitals and 3 surgery centers totaling over 50 operating rooms. We identified duplicative processes and communication issues with several facilities and worked with leadership to implement approaches to streamline systems and build trust between the operating rooms and sterile processing areas.