Help Shorten Wait Times!
Quicker cleaning processes can reduce the turnaround time for tools.
When you’re waiting for a medical procedure, any wait can feel “too long”. Having the “right tools” for our care teams is the first part of the equation – but then those tools need to be maintained, including extensive cleaning and sterilization between uses. The time it takes to “reprocess” equipment (making it safe to use again) can limit how quickly the next patient can be seen.
There is an entire department at SAH devoted to Medical Device Reprocessing, and they clean tools for physicians across the community (not just at SAH). Much of the cleaning equipment they use today was purchased when our “new hospital” first opened, but it has seen heavy use and (at almost 10 years old) it will soon need to be replaced.
Technology has advanced significantly over the last decade, and new cleaning tools are now faster and more energy-efficient. Current estimates show new washers and sterilizers could reprocess equipment in half the time – getting it back into our physicians' hands quicker.
The current plan is to invest over $1 million to retrofit our existing steam sterilizers and purchase 4 new specialized washers (ranging in size and scope from “countertop dishwasher” to “small car wash”). With the support of our community, we hope to have them in place before the end of March, 2021.
Community support helps our team provide outstanding care!
