SPD ASSESSMENTS AND CONSULTING
Sterile processing is a mission critical function in every facility that provides surgical services.
SPECIALTYCARE’S SPD CONSULTING SERVICES
SPD’s primary functions are to ensure that instruments are available, functional, and safe for use with every patient. SPD production is dependent upon the number of staff, their proficiency, equipment, and the efficiency in which the staff work. Gaps in any of these factors lead to expensive surgical delays, staff frustrations, and the potential for patient harm.
Customers trust SpecialtyCare for patient critical services – including Perfusion, IONM, and Autotransfusion. Our team has the expertise to solve your challenges in SPD.
Unlike the OR where surgeons and nursing staff can specialize in a particular-surgical specialty, sterile processing technicians in most hospitals are generalists. Technicians from the least to most experienced are expected to know every instrument the hospital owns, plus instruments on loan, and be able to follow the manufacturers’ “Instructions for Use” on how to disassemble, clean, reassemble, and test the instruments for function. Given the growing number and complexity of surgical instruments, combined with the challenges of attracting and retaining qualified SPD staff, too often these expectations are not met.
The end result is often considerable variation in the availability, quality, and safety of the instruments delivered to the OR, which negatively affects surgeon efficiency, satisfaction, and patient safety.
Our team of experts, led by Marcy Konja and Gregory Agoston, will provide a thorough review of your SPD. Using Lean Six Sigma principles, we look for solutions that address the root cause of the problems.
Marcy Konja CRCST, CSPDT, CIS, CER, CHL, CSPDM, Vice President, Sterile Processing Solutions, has 30+ years of experience in healthcare and industrial settings for sterile processing and is a voting member on multiple committees of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). She holds multiple certifications with HSPA (formerly IAHCSMM) – Certified Instrument Specialist (CIS), Certification in Healthcare Leadership (CHL), Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST), and Certified Endoscope Re-processor (CER). She’s also an Approved Instructor.
Gregg Agoston, B.S., M.B.A., CRCST, Lean Six Sigma Certified, Vice President, Business Development, has 35+ years of experience in healthcare working for Astra Zeneca, Cardinal Health, Karl Storz, and Stryker. He is certified in Lean Six Sigma through the University of Michigan. Gregg has presented at the HSPA (formerly IAHCSMM) national and state level meetings multiple times on Lean Processes and the Care and Handling of Complex Surgical Instruments. He authored Chapter 11, “Complex Surgical Instruments” in the Central Service Technician Manual 8th edition and contributed to the creation of the Endoscope Reprocessing Manual 1st edition. Gregg has a passion for helping sterile processing professionals improve their services.
NEED ASSISTANCE CREATING A PROGRAM THAT FITS ALL OF YOUR ATS NEEDS?
Are you curious how a SpecialtyCare SPD Consulting program can potentially make your operating room more efficient, safer for the patient, and staffed with a team that is low in turnover and high in clinical training?
866-907-0143
CAREERS IN SPD CONSULTING
SpecialtyCare continues to grow and we would love for you to grow with us. Check out the full listing of employment opportunities nationwide.
Call or text a recruiter today:
615-461-4713
SPD CONSULTING RESEARCH & DATA
Report Findings: $1.5 Million Per Year in Losses from SPD Errors
Senior level students at the University of Michigan (the Wolverine Consulting Group), under the guidance of two SpecialtyCare professionals, analyzed the cost of errors in the sterile processing department at an Ohio-based hospital as part of a sponsored study. What they discovered was that $1.5M was draining out of the balance sheet each year due to SPD errors. Our free report details the specifics of these costs and how your hospital can save money by optimizing the SPD.