Key Factors for Reprocessing Site Success

When it comes to selecting the right department size for reprocessing it can be quite challenging especially when given the opportunity to complete a new build or undergo a large renovation project. In recent years, off site reprocessing centers are becoming more and more common among hospital systems and organizations across the globe. Usually this is to accommodate growth, changes in the organizations structure or streamlining reprocessing practices across a system. However, it might not be the ideal solution across the board. There is no one size fits all solution when looking to build an offsite, or a new reprocessing center. Typically, these centers can be shared by hospitals, clinics, and surgery centers within a health system, and it’s important to understand that just because a “new” department is being designed it does not automatically eliminate the current sterile processing industry challenges or barriers to success. Bigger is not always better in this case.

If you chose to go off-site or take part in a large project like this, remember to plan accordingly and don’t rush the process. It is critical to have a defined timeline and scheduled date that everyone is working towards during the length of the project. This will help drive decisions and help you create your priorities list as you work through objectives. Because each build and design is unique to a customer or department it will take a lot of planning on the front end before the project really takes off. Here are some of the top recommendations to consider when shifting your reprocessing strategy. 

1. Specialty: Think about the specialties and procedures your sterile processing team will be supporting as that will dictate your reprocessing site requirements. Consider tray size, inventory, and instrument complexity. For example, reprocessing loaner trays for neuro, spine or total joint cases is very different from reprocessing a simple pain clinic foot tray or dental instrument sets. Are you going to be expected to reprocess single instruments and complex large sets? Having detailed information around the case volumes, expected specialties, surgeons, and physicians you will be providing for is key in the planning process. Consider including these team members in your planning committee so you can prep the layout, design, workflow, and inventory accordingly and eliminate the potential risk for the unknown when it might be too late.

2. Logistics: Whether you are thinking about centrally processing in one location or building an off-site center, it’s all about logistics. If you go off-site and don’t have a transport plan, the project could be delayed, or you might end up having a lower production rate than expected. Having a detailed logistics plan is crucial to the success of any reprocessing that requires multiple locations, or where the end users are not in the same building. Be sure to consider traffic patterns and geographic location and its impact on transporting trays. Your centralized reprocessing location might be in a 12-mile radius of the sites it serves, but if there are six school districts in that area, your drivers will have to contend with 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. school bus traffic. Also, make sure to set aside appropriate training times for the drivers, couriers, and trucks as many of them might not be familiar with transporting sterile, clean, or contaminated items. Consider how you plan to track these trays during transport, and how you will accommodate emergencies, flat tires, bad weather and road closures.

3. Staffing: While organizations do a great job in budgeting for reprocessing equipment, they often don’t budget for full time employees or additional resources that might be needed to help support the growth of a new department or site. Think of a facility renovating its existing SPD or building a new one to accommodate growing volumes but then only staffing for 10 full time employees to handle all the extra work. Or a customer who is building an off-site reprocessing center but hasn’t budgeted for the additional Environmental Services (EVS) employees to clean it. Resource planning and budgeting is critical to a successful project. There might even be additional roles needed, assignments, shifts, additional personal protective equipment to support the growth of the team or maybe you will need an additional manager if you have two reprocessing sites open. Usually staffing comes last but, rather, should be prioritized earlier in the project. There might also be a learning curves to consider when having to onboard and train the new team or train the existing team on new equipment.

4. Multidisciplinary Approach: A multidisciplinary team can make or break any reprocessing initiative. You need a champion in each functional area who will advocate for the project and support it all the way through. Some of the stakeholders you should recommend engaging from the beginning include;

• Budget and finance department to help drive budgetary decisions.
• Infection control (IC) or Infection prevention, trained in sterile processing, perioperative services, and disinfection practices, if taking place.
• Surgeons or other physicians who are intended customers, they can help drive satisfaction, sustainability, and ultimately successful patient outcomes.
• Quality Assurance and/or risk management.
• Sterile processing professionals, leaders, and frontline workers
• Facilities management, engineering and biomedical who can support the infrastructure change and development as the project moves forward.
• Project manager who can lead the project.
• Vendor / Consultant helping to manage the project.

Departments to include once final plans have been made could include;

• Information technology
• Environmental services
• Biomedical
• OR nursing leadership and perioperative team coordinators

Whether you are growing your department due to size, being landlocked, potential growth or the need for renovations make sure to consider all these factors when making decisions. Time is money, and these projects take a lot of both so it’s important to consider all factors ahead of time and make the right decisions for your organization and department. Make sure to weigh the cost against the benefits, and make sure it’s all worth it in the end.

Most importantly, be a role model for a “quality mindset” and dedication to patient safety for everyone you encounter in every decision you make. 

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