Recognizing a sterile processing team's unwavering commitment to excellence, as well as the expansive, influential role it plays within its facility, Healthcare Purchasing News has named Dayton Children's Hospital as its 2023 CSSD of the Year.
Opened in 1967 and still serving as the only pediatric hospital in the Dayton region of Ohio, the facility features 15 surgery suites and 181 hospital beds, and treats patients in over 35 specialty areas.
Although the institute has been long heralded for providing elite pediatric services, it was only a few years ago when the hospital's sterile processing team was in a state of disarray, regularly dealing with major problems such as missing instruments, inoperable endoscopes, and untimely reprocessing; in fact, there were numerous physicians within the hospital who lost faith in the SPD team altogether.
However, spurred by a new SPD manager, Tony Thurmond, the hospital dedicated significant time and effort into changing the entire outlook and strategy of its sterile processing staff, as well as in collaborating the OR and SPD to work in unison to enhance the quality and safety of instrument reprocessing within the hospital.
The changes were paramount.
Over the past two and half years, Dayton Children's Hospital's OR and SPD teams have functioned as one unit, with a united focus on safe practices and the continual pursuit of quality improvement.
The results are have been undeniable, and include a 99.86% error-free tray rate, 99.78% non-immediate use steam sterilization (IUSS) rate, and a 95% POU treatment rate; furthermore, the total percentage of trays processed increased by 61% from 2019 to 2022.
In addition, the SPD team has continually taken on a broader role within the hospital, such as taking control of the instrument reprocessing for the hospital's clinics, playing an invaluable role in OR emergency code planning, and collaborating with the OR to support a historic operation where cojoined twins were surgically separated.
“The story of the Dayton Children’s Hospital SPD team is a testament to the power of collaboration, strategic planning and dedication to continuous improvement,” said HPN Senior Contributing Editor Kara L. Nadeau. “Despite facing significant challenges with staffing, scheduling and inventory, the team has achieved exceptional results in quality improvement, customer service and productivity. By pursuing initiatives outside the traditional bounds of the SPD role, they have demonstrated a commitment to the hospital's mission and a willingness to go above and beyond to meet the needs of patients and customers.”
