

Beyond Clean Podcast
Beyond Clean Podcast
Even though their tools and equipment touch nearly every surgical patient in the world, how much do you really know about the people, processes, and products used in the Sterile Processing industry? Beyond Clean offers a creative look into the inner workings of a healthcare industry surrounded by challenges, disrupted by change, and committed to getting it right -- every instrument, every time. The team at Beyond Clean will bring on some of the biggest names in surgical instrument reprocessing and provide commentary on the biggest issues facing Sterile Processing professionals, facilities, administrators, manufacturers, and vendors. Join us every week as we explore the hidden world of one of the most important aspect of safe surgical care.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 29, 2024 • 31min
The Roles that Make Us Great: Instrument Coordinators
Are missing instruments causing chaos in your SPD? Are your count sheets looking more like a game of “Where’s Waldo?” rather than an organized surgical tray? This week's episode is dedicated to the unsung heroes of our Sterile Processing departments -- Instrument Coordinators! Join hosts Hank Balch and Bobby Parker as they discuss the pivotal responsibilities that make Instrument Coordinators indispensable in maintaining the safety and integrity of our surgical instruments. From purchasing and repairs to loaners and tray configuration, learn how these inventory optimization masters standardize trays, empower technicians, and curb OR frustration through their dedication and instrumentation expertise. If you've ever wondered about the masterminds behind instrument trays, this episode is a must-listen! Season 23 of Beyond Clean releases under the 1 Episode = 1 CE delivery model. After finishing this interview, earn your 1 CE credit immediately by passing the short quiz linked below each week. Visit our CE Credit Hub at beyondcleanmedia.com/ce-credit-hub to access this quiz and over 350 other free CE credits. #BeyondClean #SterileProcessing #WeFightDirty #InstrumentCoordinators

Jan 25, 2024 • 7min
Give an Inch, They’ll Take a Mile: How Compromising Kills Your Quality Culture (and How to Get It Back)
In this CE-approved episode of Articles On-The-Go, Hank Balch highlights how compromising quality standards even once in SPD can lead to a dangerous downward spiral that affects the culture of excellence in a department: "Every time the sun rises over your hospital, ambulatory surgery center, or endoscopy suite, that means you have a new day with a new opportunity to stop the line and protect your patients. This is true for department leaders as well as..." To read this article, take the CE quiz & download your certificate, click here. Stay tuned for new CE-approved Articles On-the-Go releasing each week! Bookmark our new AOTG CE page here: https://www.beyondcleanmedia.com/articles-on-the-go #FightingDirty #HankBalch #BeyondClean #WeFightDirty™ Click To Subscribe on YouTube, iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or Spotify or Visit Our Website!

Jan 23, 2024 • 27min
Confident Certification™ Ep. 22 Cost, Curriculum, and Credentials: Smart Investments for Your Sterile Processing Future
School’s in session this week on Confident Certification™! Host Sarah B. Cruz breaks down the pros and cons of investing in formal Sterile Processing programs. From resume-boosting and instructor mentorships to budget-busting costs and accredited programs, Sarah will give you the tools to pick the right program for you. Whether it’s classroom style, virtual, or self-paced courses, this episode will help you make the most out of your certification investment! Over the next 52 weeks, Sarah and special guests from around the industry will provide tangible tools to build your test prep confidence, understand the challenges that technicians encounter as they study, and equip every member of the Sterile Processing team to be the best advocates they can be for professional development. New episodes of Confident Certification™ will release each Tuesday on Beyond Clean channels. For the best listening experience, download the Beyond Clean mobile app on Apple (https://lnkd.in/guh_vxzu) and Android (https://lnkd.in/gHnfh28a) devices. This series is an innovative educational experience created to help you, your students, and your coworkers ace your Sterile Processing certification with confidence! Special thanks to our Year 1 sponsor Aesculap (US) for making this series possible! If you have thoughts or feedback on this new show, please email us at info@beyondclean.net.

Jan 22, 2024 • 30min
The Roles that Make Us Great: SP Quality Assurance Specialists
Who is watching out for all those little quality issues in Sterile Processing that could cause massive impacts to our surgical patients? On this week's episode of Season 23, "The Roles that Make Us Great," hosts Hank Balch and Bobby Parker let you in on one of SPD's most effective secret weapons—the SP Quality Assurance Specialist! Tune in as they speak to the critical QA duties this role provides to departments from audits to data tracking, to targeted feedback, to performing proactive tray checks that help identify problems BEFORE they make it to the Operating Room. You'll also get insights around why they believe dedicating time to quality improvement and hiring the right fit for this role is a non-negotiable for SPD success. If you or your team has ever had a dirty instrument make it to the OR, then you're going to find real value in this week's focus on the Quality Assurance role in SPD! To read more on the topic of quality in SPD, check out "Give an Inch, They’ll Take a Mile: How Compromising Kills your Quality Culture & How to Get it Back" on the Beyond Clean blog: https://www.beyondcleanmedia.com/post/give-an-inch-sterile-processing Season 23 of Beyond Clean releases under the 1 Episode = 1 CE delivery model. After finishing this interview, earn your 1 CE credit immediately by passing the short quiz linked below each week. Visit our CE Credit Hub at beyondcleanmedia.com/ce-credit-hub to access this quiz and over 350 other free CE credits. #BeyondClean #SterileProcessing #WeFightDirty #QualityAssuranceSpecialist

Jan 19, 2024 • 46min
Why Every SPD Deserves Certification: Recognition from the Frontline to the C-Suite
Did you know that your entire Sterile Processing department can become certified by a global accreditation agency? On this brand new Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight™ interview, tune in to hear how Yves Theodule, Sterile Processing Manager at Advocate Christ Medical, pursued DNV's Advanced Sterile Processing Certification for his team and brought newfound respect and continuous improvement to his award-winning department. Also, learn from DNV's own Jeremy Gibson-Roark about how the Advanced Sterile Processing Program Certification facilitates collaboration and internal alignment around safe patient care, preparing your SPD team for accreditation success no matter which agency you use. Ready to learn more? 👉 Download the (free!) SPD program requirements at: https://www.dnv.us/supplychain/healthcare/SterileProcessing.html 👉 Follow DNV Healthcare on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dnv/ 👉 Contact DNV through their website (https://www.dnv.com/) or email Jeremy at Jeremy.Gibson-Roark@dnv.com Enjoy the show and set your SPD team up for success in 2024 and beyond!

Jan 18, 2024 • 6min
Everything Except the Main Thing: The Crisis of Cross-Training
In this CE-approved Articles On-The Go episode, Hank Balch explains that even though cross-training Sterile Processing staff enables departments to cope with short-term staffing shortages, it can also lead to leadership voids that threaten long-term excellence and sustainability: "Although the critical instrumentation needed for next-day cases may be getting done with these additional hands on deck, there are other real, important tasks that are not getting addressed…” To read this article, take the CE quiz & download your certificate, click here. Stay tuned for new CE-approved Articles On-the-Go releasing each week! Bookmark our new AOTG CE page here: https://www.beyondcleanmedia.com/articles-on-the-go #FightingDirty #HankBalch #BeyondClean #WeFightDirty™ Click To Subscribe on YouTube, iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or Spotify or Visit Our Website!

Jan 16, 2024 • 23min
Confident Certification™ Ep. 21 Success Planning Secrets: Define Your Passion, Dominate Your Goals
What fuels your Sterile Processing passion? Why is it important to YOU to be certified? On this week's episode of Confident Certification™, host Sarah B. Cruz cracks the motivation code behind our career ambitions through success planning. She explores the core elements of motivation -- mission, passion, values, vocation, and profession – to help us better understand the WHY behind our goals and career achievements. Tune in this week as Sarah encourages you to harness your WHY and crush those certification goals! Over the next 52 weeks, Sarah and special guests from around the industry will provide tangible tools to build your test prep confidence, understand the challenges that technicians encounter as they study, and equip every member of the Sterile Processing team to be the best advocates they can be for professional development. New episodes of Confident Certification™ will release each Tuesday on Beyond Clean channels. For the best listening experience, download the Beyond Clean mobile app on Apple (https://lnkd.in/gDai7qQ6) and Android (https://lnkd.in/gQ63MpD2) devices. This series is an innovative educational experience created to help you, your students, and your coworkers ace your Sterile Processing certification with confidence! Special thanks to our Year 1 sponsor Aesculap (US) for making this series possible! If you have thoughts or feedback on this new show, please email us at info@beyondclean.net.

Jan 15, 2024 • 37min
The Roles that Make Us Great: SP Educators
Sterile Processing Educators - it's time to answer the question of whether we really have time to educate the way we need! This week on Beyond Clean, Hank Balch and Bobby Parker dive into the critical role of Sterile Processing Educators. Tune in as our dynamic duo dishes out the real talk on elevating education beyond routine compliance to equipping technicians with the right skills and knowledge to succeed. We're troubleshooting frustrations, from managing multi-shifts to truly connecting the “why” behind Sterile Processing to patient outcomes. With insights and encouragement for educators, managers, and technicians alike, this episode is a must-listen for anyone ready to revive their department's dedication to training excellence! Let’s get back to educating…the #fightingdirty way! Season 23 of Beyond Clean releases under the 1 Episode = 1 CE delivery model. After finishing this interview, earn your 1 CE credit immediately by passing the short quiz linked below each week. Visit our CE Credit Hub at beyondcleanmedia.com/ce-credit-hub to access this quiz and over 350 other free CE credits. #BeyondClean #SterileProcessing #WeFightDirty #SPEducators

Jan 11, 2024 • 7min
Everyone and No One at All: The Real Value and Opportunity of Technicians Who Organize
In this CE-approved Articles On-The Go episode, Hank Balch identifies why it’s important for Sterile Processing technicians to take organized action to address workplace issues, instead of venting their frustrations on social media: "The big takeaway in all of this is simple: Don’t let social media activity be a replacement for the most powerful activity of all—you and your fellow technicians gathering together in your department and refusing to take no for an answer in your mission for..." To read this article, take the CE quiz & download your certificate, click here. Stay tuned for new CE-approved Articles On-the-Go releasing each week! Bookmark our new AOTG CE page here: https://www.beyondcleanmedia.com/articles-on-the-go #FightingDirty #HankBalch #BeyondClean #WeFightDirty™ Click To Subscribe on YouTube, iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or Spotify or Visit Our Website!

Jan 9, 2024 • 17min
Confident Certification™ Ep. 20 Stop the Memorizing Madness: Embrace the Power of Comprehension
Don’t just memorize, comprehend! On this week's episode of Confident Certification™, host Sarah B. Cruz explores the power of learning the "why" behind Sterile Processing concepts. Rather than just memorizing, comprehending the deeper meaning behind our roles is key to transforming how we prep, practice, and perform. Tune in as Sarah breaks down this critical concept with relatable examples that will help you take your skills to the next level. Get ready to move from mindless memorization to meaningful understanding! Over the next 52 weeks, Sarah and special guests from around the industry will provide tangible tools to build your test prep confidence, understand the challenges that technicians encounter as they study, and equip every member of the Sterile Processing team to be the best advocates they can be for professional development. New episodes of Confident Certification™ will release each Tuesday on Beyond Clean channels. For the best listening experience, download the Beyond Clean mobile app on Apple (https://lnkd.in/gDai7qQ6) and Android (https://lnkd.in/gQ63MpD2) devices. This series is an innovative educational experience created to help you, your students, and your coworkers ace your Sterile Processing certification with confidence! Special thanks to our Year 1 sponsor Aesculap (US) for making this series possible! If you have thoughts or feedback on this new show, please email us at info@beyondclean.net.