Ascendco Health

Here’s what’s shaping the sterile processing and perioperative landscape this month: 1️⃣ Communication & Surgical Workflow (OR Manager) – Breakdowns in team communication remain a leading source of delays and risk. Stronger documentation, clearer data, intentional case huddles, and digital case support are helping OR teams build shared situational awareness and streamline surgical flow. 2️⃣ Benchmark Report Reveals Foundational SPD Risks (Healthcare Purchasing News) – The 2025 Industry Benchmark Report, surveying 100+ SPD and OR leaders nationwide, highlights persistent gaps in instrument tracking accuracy, missing or incomplete sets, and limited visibility across workflow. 3️⃣ Rural OR Leadership Strategies (AORN) – Even with lean staffing, expectations for advanced technology, high-quality patient experience, and unwavering safety remain. Four key leadership strategies are emerging to support volume growth and operational excellence.

60% of surveyed respondents strongly agree that real-time visibility into surgical instrument tray locations would significantly improve efficiency. Because advanced tracking isn’t just technology, it’s a pathway to safer workflows, faster turnover, and more connected operations across the surgical ecosystem. *These insights come from our 2025 Surgical Asset Management Industry Benchmark Report. Download the full report to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gdvYCg_s

In September, we had the pleasure of visiting Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, Texas, for a major go-live across all 12 facilities in the Houston area! It was an incredible experience meeting so many talented sterile processing teams, and we’re already looking forward to our next visit.

Sterile processing departments and operating rooms often hit a breaking point before real change occurs. Emplify Health by Gundersen acted early. Instead of short-term fixes, the health system launched a comprehensive operational assessment to uncover what would truly drive lasting improvement. 📌 Join us for a webinar hosted by Becker's Hospital Review and you'll learn:  • How leaders recognized the inflection point that signaled it was time to act  • Key findings from a feasibility study on capacity and future needs  • How the health system made the business case for change and chose a long-term partner 🎯 If you're focused on surgical efficiency, patient care or sustainable growth, this webinar is a must-attend. 👉 Register now to reserve your spot: https://lnkd.in/eEmPsZr2 #SharingExpertise #AesculapUS #SterileProcessing #OperatingRoomEfficiency

Collecting data is only the beginning. Sterile Processing teams capture massive amounts of information through count sheets and tracking systems. Too often, that data stops at collection. The real opportunity lies in turning data into action: driving efficiency, reducing errors, and proving the department’s impact on surgical outcomes. *These insights come from our 2025 Surgical Asset Management Industry Benchmark Report. Download the full report to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gdvYCg_s

Sneak Preview: “Audit to Avoid It” Oklahoma City HSPA Chapter Meeting powered by Ascendco Health This Saturday, I’ll be in Oklahoma City with the HSPA Chapter sharing one of my favorite sessions: “Audit to Avoid It: Proactive Bioburden Reduction with Real-Time Quality Intelligence.” We’ll explore how sterile processing teams can move from reactive to proactive by connecting the dots between: • POUT scan compliance and quality alerts • Real-time data intelligence for assembly and decontam • Smarter auditing models based on risk, not routine • Vendor tray tracking and closed-loop feedback • Point-of-use practices that prevent bioburden before it starts If you’re in the region, join us for a morning of education, networking, and practical solutions you can take straight back to your department. Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new colleagues passionate about quality and patient safety. Let’s make “Audit to Avoid It” a mindset, not just a metric.

🔍 Human error is the top challenge in surgical asset tracking, cited by 76% of sterile processing department (SPD) and operating room (OR) leaders in our 2025 Surgical Asset Management Industry Benchmark Report. Other key concerns:  • Loss of instruments (51%)  • Poor or inaccurate data (42%)  • Lack of quality cross-references (39%) These issues aren’t just statistics—they’re daily roadblocks for many facilities. We’re asking: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆? 📘 To access the full report, please visit: https://lnkd.in/es9Nsry9 #SharingExpertise #AesculapUS #SurgicalAssetManagement #SterileProcessing

Every time you or a loved one goes into surgery, there’s someone watching over every detail making sure you’re safe, your needs are met, and your voice is heard when you can’t speak for yourself. That someone is a perioperative nurse. From pre-op preparation to post-op recovery, periop nurses guide patients through one of life’s most vulnerable moments This week is Perioperative Nurses Week, a time to honor the surgical care heroes who make every procedure possible. ➡️ Swipe to explore resources from the AORN and discover ways to celebrate the perioperative nurses in your hospital, and in your life.

Where Support Requests Happen Most: Over the past six months, we analyzed the areas that consistently generate the most support tickets. Complex builds or edits often drive the need for quick troubleshooting, and every request gives us insight to refine workflows and deliver smarter support. With 24/7 real human support, you’re always directly connected to our team for fast, personalized help whenever you need it.

ST108: What Are We Looking For and Why It Matters ST108 has pushed sterile processing teams to take water quality seriously and not just during inspections. Daily testing and long-term tracking are now critical. But what are we actually looking for? And what does each result tell us? Here’s how I explain it to teams I work with: 🟥 Chloride- Think rust colored stains. Too much chloride leads to corrosion and pitting especially on surgical instruments. If you're seeing surface damage, this is one of the first numbers to check. 🟤 Iron- Think reddish brown residue. Iron stains tanks, washer chambers, and trays. It often comes from aging plumbing and can shorten equipment lifespan fast. ⚫ Manganese- Think black or dark brown spotting. This one’s easy to miss but shows up in ultrasonic tanks or on instruments as dark stains. Often confused with baked on debris. 🟩 Copper- Think green blue staining. Usually shows up in older facilities or where plumbing is breaking down. If your trays have a greenish tint, this is likely why. ⚪ Silica- Think cloudy white film. Common cause of that chalky residue on instruments that won’t wipe off. Needs RO or DI to control regular filters won’t do it. 🟡 Hardness (Calcium + Magnesium)- Think white scaling or mineral crust. Builds up inside washers and sterilizers, affects detergent performance, and leads to higher repair frequency if left unchecked. 🟦 pH- Think detergent effectiveness. Too high or too low impacts how well you clean — and how long your equipment lasts. Aim for neutral to slightly acidic. 🟣 Conductivity (measuring total dissolved solids)- Think early warning system. High conductivity means your water is carrying more minerals than it should leading to film, staining, and poor rinse quality. If this is trending up, other problems aren’t far behind. If you’re not reading these numbers and reacting before issues show up on your trays you’re behind the curve.