How one hospital decided to spend a $100K donation on sterile processing equipment

Candi Gabrielse RN, MSN, Director of Perioperative Services at Allegan also manages the hospital's sterile processing department and was happy to answer our questions about who was involved in deciding what to purchase and why they chose the equipment they’re using now.

HPN: Would you mind sharing some details about what motivated you to renovate the sterile processing department? What did your team need most and why?

Gabrielse: The previous equipment had reached its life expectancy and needed to be replaced. Our main focus was on purchasing new sterilizers and washer to improve workflow and efficiency throughout the Perioperative area.

HPN: Which manufacturer did you choose when purchasing the sterilizers and why?

Gabrielse: I had reached out to different companies to obtain information from each of them on new sterilizers. In the end, after much thought, it was decided that we would go with Getinge. One outstanding reason was that these sterilizers use 200 gallons less water per load than the other options that were considered.

The load capacity and integrated boilers were another appealing aspect for us as well. I know a lot of our readers work in healthcare organizations where clinical integration is a goal and have value analysis teams now comprised of end-users of the equipment, not just the supply chain and other purchasing professionals.

HPN: Does your hospital have a committee that brings various stakeholders to the table to discuss products and services before they are purchased?

Gabrielse: We have a Value Analysis team that reviews new products before they are purchased. In the sterilizer purchase, myself along with our facilities director, CNO, and finance officers discussed our options and what we felt would be the best purchase for our facility. Many aspects were taken into consideration, from our volume of cases and expected growth, to our facility structure and the environment. I appreciated the different views from each person involved and the different questions and/or concerns that were discussed. In the end, it was decided to move forward with the Getinge sterilizer purchase.

HPN: What are you hoping to achieve when using the new equipment?

Gabrielse: Our goal is to always provide our patients with the best care possible. Part of that is making sure we run efficiently and at best practice standards in our sterile processing department. Renovating our SP allowed staff to participate in setting up a workflow that was advantageous for them in their daily tasks.

HPN: Is there anything else that you’re excited about regarding the renovation?

Gabrielse: We are all very excited about the new equipment and the ability to perform more efficiently with the new equipment. We work diligently to ensure that we are following best practice standards so that our patients, employees, surgeons and families have the best outcomes when they choose Allegan General Hospital as their healthcare facility. We have had the opportunity to make an impact in our community by providing patients with state-of-the-art equipment that helps in keeping surgeries stay on schedule.