Sterile Processing Team Members Recognized for Outstanding Work, Dedication
Sterile Processing Technician Lauren Caskey, CRCST, CIS, CHL, is the 2023 recipient of the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association’s Golden Slipper for Service Excellence Award, presented for demonstrating exceptional service that went beyond the traditional scope of her role.
To be eligible, a sterile processing professional must be nominated by a supervisor, manager, director or administrator. Caskey was nominated by Sterile Processing Manager Glenna Osborn, who wrote of Caskey’s rededication to her career and team members: “Lauren started developing strong relationships with her team members, making sure if they had a bad day she could find a way to cheer them up, even if it was buying them their favorite candy bar at break time.
“A few months later our hospital called for KD Coaches, a recognition program for staff who are going above their call to help encourage and train new staff. Within a few days Lauren was nominated and accepted as a KD Coach.
“She was sending monthly reports to the Patient Experience Team on improvements that the team was experiencing in our department. She was going above her job duties and taking new hires under her wing, working until they ‘got it.’ Lauren joined the Quality Committee, and began to rewrite and change SPD policies. She was granted the ability to change count sheets to help co-workers be able to work more smoothly throughout the day.
“Lauren’s self-motivation came back and she went on to study and achieve her CIS and CHL within a four-month period, and is currently studying for her CER, to become a Golden Crown member. Lauren became the voice to echo the feelings and concerns of her entire team and to make it known when they had struggles, concerns, or deserved praise.”
The award is based on a story about a patient who lost his favorite slippers in the hospital and had them replaced by a caring healthcare professional who searched for, located and purchased a new pair of identical slippers for the patient. This award recognizes a Sterile Processing professional who demonstrates exceptional service that goes beyond the traditional scope of their role.
Sterile Processing
Leadership Award
Caskey was not the only member of the King’s Daughters team to be recognized by the association for 2023. Sterile Processing Manager Glenna Osborn, CRCST, CIS, CER, CHL, also received the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association’s Sterile Processing Leadership Award. This award recognizes a Sterile Processing supervisor, manager, director, or equivalent, who has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities and has made significant contributions to their team, department and facility.
Osborn oversees four sterile processing locations, and leads the monitoring of more than 40 off-site locations. The Sterile Processing team reprocessed 2.5 million instruments and devices in 2022, and has a 99.8% rating for quality goal.
In the fall of this year, the department will be stepping into a new state-of-the-art location on the second floor on the Ashland campus. The new space will allow for:
- improved workflow for processing of critical devices
- space for additional job duties for surgery care cart building and tracking
- full storage of surgery trays
“Having two people from King’s Daughters be recognized internationally for excellence in sterile processing is very rare,” Deana Milum, executive director of Surgical Services, said. “Glenna and Lauren are two people on a stellar team who do industry-leading work for us at King’s Daughters.”
Caskey and Osborn will be recognized during the HSPA’s 2023 Annual Conference and Expo in May in Nashville, Tenn.
The Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA), was established in 1958 with 100 members. Today they are 40,000-plus members, and the association offers certifications for Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST), Certified Instrument Specialist (CIS), Certified Endoscope Reprocessor (CER), Certified Healthcare Leader (CHL).