SPD-OR teamwork calls for personal engagement

Advocate Christ Medical Center’s Sterile Processing team regards teamwork as an essential element of its — and any SPD department’s success.

“Each day our team strives for perfection by incorporating values that allows us to depend on each other to get the job done,” stated Katie Sikora, Executive Director, Surgical Services Administration. Several years ago, they adopted the motto, “One Team One Dream” on which to base their foundation.

SPD consists of six key teams: Leadership, Decontamination, Prep/Pack, Loaner/Orthopedic, Case Cart and Communication.

The Leadership Team includes the Manager, Coordinator, Educator and Non-Conforming Instrument Specialist. All of these associates (what SPD calls its staff members) work together to lead the department in a successful and cost-efficient way. The Manager heads the entire Leadership team and provides vision for the department. Coordinators manage the flow process for each shift and utilize a discipline process to ensure the technicians do not fall below the guidelines they are required to follow. The Educator ensures all technicians are fully educated on processes, challenged with competencies every year, and also encouraged to obtain multiple certifications. The Non-Conforming Instrument Specialist manages inventory of all existing instruments, orders missing instruments for non-conforming trays, and also manages the repair of instruments. Our Leadership team meets often to understand and work towards the overall vision for the department.

The Decontamination, Prep/Pack, Loaner/Orthopedic and Case Cart teams include multiple technicians working in each area. The Decontamination team includes two to four associates working together with a goal of delivering clean and safe instruments in an efficient manner to the Prep/Pack area. Each technician understands the importance of protecting the patient as well as their fellow associates from the risk to exposure to dirty instrumentation. The Prep/Pack team includes 10 or more tray assemblers who are responsible for building trays according to the count sheet, developed through a collaborative partnership with the Perioperative team. They are responsible for inspecting instrumentation for its functionality and cleanliness.

The Loaner/Orthopedic Team include a Loaner Technician and Orthopedic Technician. These two technicians work together to ensure all loaner trays, consignment trays and orthopedic trays are complete, and also work closely with vendors to execute the needs of the OR for Orthopedic cases. The Case Cart Team consists of four to five technicians responsible for building all case carts for surgery. The case cart team understands the overall goal and the importance of providing all supplies and trays listed on the surgeon preference list.

The Communications team includes two surgical technologists as SPD’s voice and negotiator. Their role consists of answering all phones calls into the department, supplying the OR with their requests, pulling add-on cases, and communicating with OR and different areas within the department for overall needs for OR.

SPD remains motivated to provide the best quality for the patient, according to Parisa Yasmin, Perioperative Project Manager.

“This motivation is supported from the top down, starting with our COO Matt Primack, who rounds and continues to deliver Advocate’s vision to the SPD team,” Yasmin told Healthcare Purchasing News. “We don’t know many hospitals that have this level of personal engagement from their executive leadership team and their associates. The SPD team has shared how supported they feel by executive and OR leadership.”

Sikora concurs, and notes further that SPD loops clinicians into communication huddles.

“Understanding the mission and purpose of your work is a cornerstone for successful teamwork,” she said. “Matt [Primack], Cindy Mahal-van Brenk [Vice President of Surgical Services for Advocate Health Care], SPD, and OR leadership seeks to empower each one of our associates. We strive to make sure each team member has a strong sense of belonging to the group, each member is viewed as a unique person with knowledge and opinions to contribute. We want to hear their voice. Open, honest and respectful communication is key to our culture of safety. The SPD team has been given an opportunity to continuously improve through daily huddles that include peer feedback and suggestions. Ultimately, the team makes high-quality decisions together.

“Additionally, we invite our physicians and OR nurses to come down to huddles and share their stories and support to the SPD team,” Sikora continued. “Our medical director, Dr. Baylis, rounds in SPD whenever he can to provide positive and constructive feedback. During the SEVY award Yves [Theodule, SPD Manager] invites previous patients, patient’s family members, or motivational speakers to help connect the purpose with his team.” SEVY is an acronym that stands for Service, Excellence, Value, You. Theodule brought the award to Advocate Christ SPD three years ago to be given out annually to recognize the SPD tech that best exemplifies the crucial work being done in what SPD dubs the “Heart of the Hospital.” Executive leadership and SPD team come together for a breakfast, motivational speeches, and to celebrate the winner.