Certification for Centralized Sterilization Services

Sterile processing services for medical instruments has always been a critical component to safe healthcare to prevent risk of infections. In recent years, some healthcare organizations and systems have centralized sterile processing services to an offsite location related to a multitude of contributing factors. As medical equipment is moved back and forth from a medical facility to an offsite processing location, maintaining the integrity of the medical instrument, equipment, and devices during transport is critical. In addition, results of accreditation surveys conducted in healthcare facilities by The Joint Commission indicate high frequency of non-compliance with infection control standards and guidelines for sterilizing reusable medical instruments.

The standards for this new certification program focus on:

• Program Management: Leadership identification and development and implementation of policies and procedures for the reprocessing of reusable instruments, devices, and equipment.
• Education and Training: Ensuring competency of those who work within the organization, including the provision of initial and ongoing education required to demonstrate competence in assigned roles and responsibilities.
• Interfacility Transportation: Focusing on minimizing risks that are associated with handling and storage of medical and surgical instruments, devices, and equipment during transportation.
• Performance Improvement: Ongoing evaluation of performance to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Physical Environment: Implementation of a safe and secure environment in which reprocessing occurs.

• Makes certain critical aspects of services provided (ex. interfacility transportation) are reviewed and in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local law and regulation and national standards.
• Demonstrates commitment to the delivery of safe effective patient care and reduction of risk regarding reprocessing of medical instruments, devices, and equipment.
• Provides a standardized framework for the offsite reprocessing of medical instruments, devices, and equipment.
• Reviews ongoing organizational performance improvement in the efforts of supporting the healthcare organizations in which the facility serves.
• May help boost confidence of contracted facilities in that the organization adheres to federal, state, and local law and regulation and national guidelines for reprocessing of medical instruments, devices, and equipment and is reviewed by an external body.
• It provides the organization the opportunity to have an acknowledgement from a certification body that specializes in sterile processing standards.
• It’s another recognition a health system can market to the community they serve.