Bonus: The Next Revolution in Surgery Is Happening Outside the OR

A recent session at a healthcare conference highlights the critical need for improved collaboration and understanding between operating room (OR) and sterile processing departments (SPD). Dr. Jake Taylor Jacobs and Dr. Edna, both experts in their fields, emphasize that while many professionals in healthcare are certified, this does not guarantee their capability to perform effectively in their roles. They advocate for a more integrated approach to patient care, where both OR and SPD teams work together with a shared purpose.

Dr. Edna, who leads one of the top SPDs in the country, stresses the importance of understanding the complexities of sterile processing, particularly in light of evolving regulatory standards. She shares her journey from OR nursing to SPD leadership, noting that many perioperative leaders lack a comprehensive understanding of SPD operations. This gap can lead to miscommunication and inefficiencies that ultimately affect patient care.

The discussion also reveals alarming statistics about the competency of SPD leaders, with a significant percentage operating at a basic level despite years of experience and certifications. The speakers call for a reevaluation of how healthcare organizations develop their workforce, suggesting that temporary staffing solutions are insufficient. Instead, they advocate for a structured development pathway that ensures all staff are not only certified but also verified in their capabilities to enhance overall patient safety and care quality.

CERTIFIED DOES NOT MEAN VERIFIED TO DO THE JOB

Recorded live in front of a room of perioperative leaders, Dr. Jake Tayler Jacobs and Dr. Edna Gilliam make the case that the next professional revolution in surgery is happening outside the OR, in sterile processing. Dr. Edna, a periop leader who learned SPD for herself, explains why she took the assessment before asking her own leaders to.

IN THIS EPISODE • How surgery came into the hospital, and why OR nurses organized in 1949 while sterile processing went 45 years without a career path • What surfaced when 125 SPD leaders across 189 facilities were assessed: certifications alone were not enough • Operational blindness: why so many periop leaders see SPD as a black box, and why temporary fixes don't change permanent damage • Process, people, performance: a development track that turns technicians into verified operators

KEY TAKEAWAY "If you don't give people something to progress to, they begin to cannibalize where they are."

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