2023 Round-Up of Healthcare Findings by The Joint Commission

A recent Joint Commission article outlined the most common findings in ambulatory surgical centers, hospitals, and various other medical establishments.

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The Joint Commission's Findings

On top of The Joint Commission list was that The hospital implements infection prevention and control activities when doing the following: Performing intermediate and high-level disinfection and sterilization of medical equipment, devices, and supplies.

Evolved Sterile Processing Consulting's Findings

Evolved Sterile Processing Consulting works on evolving the Sterile Processing department to eliminate risk. The issues we have found in Sterile Processing at the locations we visited are listed below:

The infection control practices in healthcare settings continue to be problematic during CMS surveys. Often, the sterile processing departments are understaffed and undermanaged. The sterile processing department (SPD) has a pivotal job protecting patients from acquiring hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). In 2021 the lack of supplies affected resources for reprocessing reusable medical devices, 2022 didn't fare any better. In 2023 we saw the same issues that have plagued SPD over the prior years. The SPD department was also turned to for the reprocessing of N95 masks during the pandemic. This change opened some eyes to how important this department is to the overall functioning of the hospital setting. Overall, more resources need to be given to SPD. Education for the SPD staff and management teams is lacking. An adage goes, "You need to spend money to make money." The sterile processing department is an excellent place to put your money. The department protects your patients and your staff and carries significant legal ramifications if it doesn't follow national standards and manufacturer's instructions. The other adage that applies is "pay me now or pay me later"; it's your choice. I would choose the SPD department.

At Evolved Sterile Processing, our consultants have a greater focus on sterile processing. With our decades of experience, we will help you develop better processes and educational resources for your staff.