
03/23/2023
89. ST98: New Guidelines for Manufacturer Cleaning Validation You may be familiar with ST79 (steam sterilization) and ST91 (flexible endoscopes), but have you heard about ST98: Cleaning validation for healthcare products?AAMI veteran Ralph Basile guides through what the new guidelines state about how manufacturers should be testing their devices to ensure clea

03/09/2023
88. ST91 - Part 6 of 6: Informative Annexes Whether you're a veteran of flexible endoscope processing, or brand new to the field, this podcast series on ST91 is designed for you!In this episode with guest John Whelan, we discuss ST91 and the informative annexes at the back of the document. What do you do when the IFU’s for the scope don’t mat

02/23/2023
87. ST91 - Part 5 of 6: Quality Assurance Whether you're a veteran of flexible endoscope processing, or brand new to the field, this podcast series on ST91 is designed for you! In this episode, Dr. Mary Ann Drosnock takes us through the steps of flexible endoscope quality assurance. What steps are required? How often? And does staff need to

02/16/2023
86. ST91 - Part 4 of 6: Handling and Storage of Scopes Post-Processing Whether you're a veteran of flexible endoscope processing, or brand new to the field, this podcast series on ST91 is designed for you!What do the new standards state about how you should be transporting your scopes? And are there new evidence-based recommendations about the type of storage system t

02/02/2023
85. ST91 - Part 3 of 6: Point of Use Treatment and Leak Testing Whether you're a veteran of flexible endoscope processing, or brand new to the field, this podcast series on ST91 is designed for you!Why is pre-cleaning is no longer the terminology used when talking about what is done at the point-of-use? And what is a "Leak Tester Tester" (not a typo)? Find out

01/19/2023
84. ST91 - Part 2 of 6: High Risk Endoscopes, Manual Disinfection, and Sterilization Whether you're a veteran of flexible endoscope processing, or brand new to the field, this podcast series on ST91 is designed for you!In this episode, Dr. Mary Ann Drosnock explains what "high-risk endoscopes" are within ST91, why the standards now recommend moving away from "manual disinfection" of

12/22/2022
83. ST91 - Part 1 of 6: What is ST91? An Introduction to Flexible Endoscope Standards Whether you're a veteran of flexible endoscope processing, or brand new to the field, this podcast series on ST91 is designed for you! Dr. Mary Ann Drosnock introduces us to the newest AAMI standard for flexible endoscope processing, ST91. From the background and history of the standard, to what the

12/08/2022
82. Gladiators Hold the Line! A Patient & Parent Story with Alisha Loy How is a sterile processing technician like a gladiator? Alisha Loy recaps her outstanding international webinar appearance detailing her journey as both a patient and parent through the healthcare system, and how she found her way in a department she had no idea even existed!

11/17/2022
81. Education Culture in Sterile Processing What is "Education Culture" in Sterile Processing and how can we create a culture of education in SPD? How do we maintain it? And more importantly, how do we get staff to buy in? In this episode of the Ask the Educator Podcast, Kevin and Adam speak to Rebecca Peplau from Maine Health to answer th

10/27/2022
80. Sourcing Solutions from Multiple Vendors in SPD The pandemic certainly changed a lot in our world, but one thing it exposed for us in Central Service was the weaknesses in our supply chains and our ability to survive without our needed supplies. In this episode, guest Jamie Terran outlines the need for us to expand our supply chains and create r

10/06/2022
79. Psychological Safety and Forming the Multidisciplinary Team In this episode, Kevin and Adam speak to Marjorie Wall and Joseph Avila, both Directors at Memorial Hermann Health System in Texas. Don't miss this essential talk on the importance of "psychological safety" in the sterile processing department, and how Marjorie and Joseph used it to create a multidi

09/12/2022
78. Sterile Processing: Safety First In this episode, Jahan Azizi outlines the common safety hazards that we see in sterile processing departments each day, and the reasons behind why departments don't (or can't) prioritize the safety of its employees.

08/18/2022
77. Horror Stories in Sterile Processing with the Healthmark Educators Do you ever wonder what consultants see when they go into hospitals across the country? Well, we can tell you from experience that it's not always pretty. In this episode of the Ask the Educator Podcast, Kevin Anderson is on the other side of the microphone for the first time as a guest on his own

08/04/2022
76. Insulation Testing of Surgical Instruments with Cheron Rojo In this episode, Kevin & Adam speak with Cheron Rojo, who will be recapping his most recent International Webinar presentation on insulation testing. Learn how Cheron's personal story inspired his research and what the data tells us about whether sterile processing professionals are following the st

06/09/2022
75. SID, Layerjot, and the Future of Surgical Instrument Identification with Etay Gafni In this episode of the Ask The Educator Podcast, we interview Etay Gafni about Layerjot's new project: the Surgical Instrument Database, or S.I.D. for short. What is SID? How can Sterile Processing Technicians utilize it to identify our surgical instrumentation?Don't miss this episode about an excit

05/05/2022
74. Peel Pouch Problems Malinda Elammari and Kevin Anderson continue their discussion on common peel pouch problems that are found in SPD departments.#sterileprocessing #peelpouch #sterileprocessingtech #asktheeducatorpodcast

03/25/2022
73. How Confident are You in Your Peel Pouch Seals? Malinda Elammari and host, Kevin Anderson discuss peel pouches and common issues with their seals.

02/28/2022
72. Can we get an IFU for finding and using IFUs? Adam Okada, Seth Hendee, and Kevin Anderson all discuss the need for training and documented competency for IFUs. Many departments now have access to IFU database software. However, it is common for users to struggle to find the IFU and/or the information they need within the IFU.

02/10/2022
71. Cleaning up a Wet Mess: Troubleshooting Wet Packs In this interview, Adam Okada and Kevin Anderson discuss the trouble with wet packs. What are some common errors made when troubleshooting wet packs and what are some resources to consider when tackling this frustrating problem in sterile processing? Find out in this episode of Ask the Educator.

01/20/2022
70. Open Wide: A Discussion About Sterile Processing in the Dental Industry Stephen Kovach and host Kevin Anderson discuss the current state of sterile processing in the dental industry.

12/09/2021
69. Want to Take Your Sterile Processing Career to the Next Level? Consider Mentorship: Interview with Sarah B. Cruz Sarah B. Cruz is the guest educator on this episode and shares with us why and how mentorship may be an important step in your professional development.

11/24/2021
68. How Well Do You Know Your IFUs? Instructions for use (IFUs) can range from too simple to too cumbersome. But they can also be your key to higher quality in sterile processing. Check out this episode featuring CPD Guy, Stephen Kovach and his thoughts on IFUs.

11/11/2021
67. Innovation in Instrument Protection: Interview with Guy Phipps Guy Phipps, Co-Creator at SterileBits talks about the latest innovation in instrument protection that will solve many of the current industry problems from the sterile processing department to the end-user in the procedural areas.

10/28/2021
66. Education is a Sterile Processing Superpower The newest addition to the Healthmark Clinical Affairs team, Adam Okada shares how education played a critical role in driving quality in his sterile processing department.