Thursday, July 23rd at 1:00pm (CST)

CHL holders: While the eligibility requirements for the Certified Healthcare Leader (CHL) certification remain unchanged from the updates HSPA shared in recent weeks (which take effect in October), we must now request one form of supporting documentation to accompany your attestation. This update is in response to a revision to ISO 17024, the international standard under which our CHL is accredited through ANAB, which aims to ensure our accreditation remains in good standing and that your credential stays valid and strong. To learn more and to ask any questions regarding the attestation or documentation requirements, we are hosting three webinars with varying dates and times to meet your schedules: Wednesday, May 27; Tuesday, June 23; and Thursday, July 23, 2026. We invite you to join and bring your questions.

Tuesday, June 23rd at 10:00am (CST)

CHL holders: While the eligibility requirements for the Certified Healthcare Leader (CHL) certification remain unchanged from the updates HSPA shared in recent weeks (which take effect in October), we must now request one form of supporting documentation to accompany your attestation. This update is in response to a revision to ISO 17024, the international standard under which our CHL is accredited through ANAB, which aims to ensure our accreditation remains in good standing and that your credential stays valid and strong. To learn more and to ask any questions regarding the attestation or documentation requirements, we are hosting three webinars with varying dates and times to meet your schedules: Wednesday, May 27; Tuesday, June 23; and Thursday, July 23, 2026. We invite you to join and bring your questions.

On Demand Webinar: Tuesday, June 16th, 2026

Description: Tune in monthly and join HSPA’s Certification Department to hear program updates, ask questions regarding your application requirements, and chat with department leadership. This month will focus on advocacy initiatives.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss HSPA's advocacy initiatives and updates

2. Review state laws currently in place

3. Open discussion, Q & A

No CE is offered for this webinar

In this three-part series, Doretha Bailey examines the importance of critical-thinking skills in the Sterile Processing department (SPD). In part two, she reviews strategies for enhancing critical-thinking skills. Sharing examples from her department’s training and education programs, Bailey explains how to promote a culture of inquiry and continuous improvement.

Guest Speaker: 

Doretha Bailey is the systemwide Sterile Processing educator at Memorial Herman Health Systems in Houston. In her current role, Bailey engages with the entire perioperative team, developing educational programs, providing professional development related to sterile processing, and serving as a mentor. She also helped create a sterile processing educational program for Houston City College. Bailey has a proven record of success, consistently helping other healthcare professionals pass their certification exams.

As a new educator, Yohaira Espinal felt the weight of continuous training and was witnessed the challenges her preceptors faced. These realizations led her on a two-year journey to create an improved method for training and onboarding new staff members. In this webinar, Espinal describes her path and outlines an in-depth course that transforms the first week of training into a strong foundation for continuous learning.

Guest Speaker: 

Yohaira Espinal, MSN, RN, CRCST, CHL, CFER, has 23 years of nursing experience. She attended nursing school at Antillean Adventist University in Puerto Rico and has had the privilege to serve in the perioperative environment for about 18 years, practicing within Pre/Post-Op, PACU and GI Lab areas. Espinal has been with Loma Linda University Medical Center for 10 years. In her current role, she is the Educator for the SPD and GI Lab in 2020, serving five hospital campuses. Espinal strives to improve training programs and empower learners to position them for success.

In this three-part series, Doretha Bailey examines the importance of critical-thinking skills in the Sterile Processing department (SPD) and offers practical strategies for sustained improvement. In part one, Bailey discusses the challenges and barriers to critical thinking among Sterile Processing (SP) professionals. She provides effective strategies for elevating critical-thinking skills in an effort to improve service to the Operating Room, increase confidence and take ownership of procedural processes.

Guest Speaker: 

Doretha Bailey is the systemwide Sterile Processing educator at Memorial Herman Health Systems in Houston. In her current role, Bailey engages with the entire perioperative team, developing educational programs, providing professional development related to sterile processing, and serving as a mentor. She also helped create a sterile processing educational program for Houston City College. Bailey has a proven record of success, consistently helping other healthcare professionals pass their certification exams.

On a daily basis, Sterile Processing professionals use chemicals that can cause workplace-related injuries or make us ill over time. Although these chemicals are a necessary part of our jobs, updated monitoring standards and emerging technology can help protect us from their long-term effects.

In episode 151, host Casey Czarnowski speaks with Alex Hilliker of ChemDAQ about the increased emphasis on short-term exposure monitoring. Hilliker discusses the evolving landscape of standards and regulations worldwide and how the implementation of short-term exposure limits (STELs) follows global trends and increases the culture of safety in our departments. He advocates for changing not just the way we think about chemical exposure but also “the measures we take every day to protect our teams and verify compliance.” Listen and learn more.

The ChemDAQ/ASP white paper on hydrogen-peroxide emissions safety (part 1) is also available for download, and if you missed Hilliker’s first appearance on Process This!, check out episode 125 : Chemical Safety in the SPD.

ABOUT OUR GUEST Alex Hilliker Executive Vice President ChemDAQ Alex Hilliker is ChemDAQ’s Executive Vice President, leading efforts to grow the company’s Instrument Division, expand partnerships and increase global brand recognition. He is passionate about employee safety and educating teams on the potential dangers of overexposure to hazardous chemicals. He is a regular speaker for webinars, conferences and events. Previously, Hilliker served as a manager in Deloitte Consulting’s Government and Public Services practice. He holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from The George Washington University and a BA in Political Science from the University of Michigan. He was also selected to participate in leadership programs through the George W. Bush Presidential Center and the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence.

ABOUT OUR SPONSOR chemdaq.com ChemDAQ’s mission is to eliminate workplace exposure to toxic chemicals through innovative monitoring solutions, trusted partnerships and unmatched safety expertise. Our advanced sensor technology delivers reliable protection that customers trust, employees take pride in and partners value. Guided by our core values—trust, innovation, empowerment, teamwork, vision and loyalty—we create safer workplaces worldwide.

In this webinar, Donielle Horn and Jaime Serrano discuss the instrument coordinator’s role in a Sterile Processing department (SPD) and how fostering collaborative care can improve surgical instrument management. Using examples from their own hospital, they explain their process for identifying obstacles in their instrument management process and the strategies used to overcome them. Listen to gain skills in planning, tracking and managing surgical instruments, ensuring their availability and readiness, as well as a clearer understanding of how to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams. 

Guest Speaker: 

Donielle Horn has 21 years of Sterile Processing experience with more than 13 years in leadership. She has participated on HSPA chapter committees in both Iowa and Illinois and led teams as large as 75 full-time employees. In addition, Horn has served on >span class="NormalTextRun SCXW185451789 BCX2"> Advisory Board for Oakton Community College as well as assisted with curriculum development and launching the sterile processing program at Kirkwood Community College in Iowa, a first in that area.  

Jaime Serrano began his Sterile Processing career in 2020. After passing his certification exam, he started working at NorthShore Hospital as a Sterile Processing Technician. In 2022, because of his hard work and dedication, Serrano was promoted to Lead Tech. The following year, he became the Instrument Coordinator, a role he holds today. 

Live Webinar: Thursday, March 19th, 2026 - 10:00-11:00(CST)

Ultrasound imaging technology is currently used for more clinical applications than any other imaging modality with procedures ranging from radiology and cardiology to endocrinology and women’s health. By today’s count, ultrasound guidance is used in approximately 140 different percutaneous procedures ranging from injections on healthy, intact skin to breast and liver biopsies where variation in provider skill and technique may put patients at risk for infection. For busy infection preventionists who do not have time to conduct a risk assessment or firsthand observation, understanding the diversity of procedures, potential for deviation from clinical best practice and how patients may be put at risk can be challenging. Proper application of the Spaulding Classification System and relevant standards and guidelines to support reprocessing policy adds yet another layer of complexity. As procedural types and locations proliferate, those responsible for managing infection risk and meeting accreditation requirements for ultrasound guided procedures will face an increasingly arduous challenge.

Highlights of this one-hour program include: • Critical differences in percutaneous procedures by degree of risk, • Discussion of relevant probe reprocessing standards and regulatory requirements, • Review and application of the Spaulding Classification system, • Lessons learned from a system-wide risk assessment of ultrasound guided percutaneous procedures and reprocessing practice (sample risk assessment included) and, • Considerations for ensuring safety, reliability and compliance across the continuum of care.

Learning Objectives

• Characterize the range of percutaneous procedures,

• Explain the implications of risk assessment findings to patient safety,

• Discuss the significance of available evidence demonstrating contact between the ultrasound probe and sterile needle or puncture site,

• Determine reprocessing requirements for probes, used in a key group of percutaneous procedures, by applying the Spaulding Classification and relevant regulatory requirements, standards and guidelines.

Speaker Bio

Maureen Spencer, M.Ed, BSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC Maureen has been an Infection Preventionist for over 40 years and is board certified in infection control (CIC). As one of the early pioneers in infection control, she was awarded the APIC National Carole DeMille Award in 1990 and was selected as one of the APIC Heroes of Infection Prevention in 2007 for her work in establishing a MRSA and Staph aureus Elimination Program at New England Baptist, an Orthopedic Center of Excellence in 2006. In 2012 she was selected as one of the "Who's Who of Infection Prevention" and in 2017 she was recognized as a Fellow of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (FAPIC) for her advanced practice in infection prevention and leadership within the field. She is currently an Infection Prevention Consultant with Commonwealth Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School. Maureen was previously the Director, Clinical Education at Accelerate Diagnostics; Corporate Director, Infection Prevention for Universal Health Services; Infection Control Director at New England Baptist Hospital and Director of the Infection Control Unit at Mass General Hospital. Maureen has presented numerous research abstracts and lectures at national conferences and published many peer reviewed articles on healthcare-associated infections. Internationally she has taught in Austria, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, France, Turkey, Argentina, Canada, New Zealand and South Korea.

Eligible for 1 CE

Live Webinar: Thursday, November 13th, 2025 - 10:00-11:00(CST)

Sterile processing professionals face increasing pressure to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and maintain the highest standards of patient safety. This webinar explores how wrap-free sterilization containers are designed to transform reprocessing workflows by addressing the limitations of traditional blue wrap. Attendees will learn how reusable rigid containers may enhance sterility assurance, streamline operations, and contribute to long-term cost savings and environmental sustainability. The session will also include an overview of container design, maintenance, and care aligned with AAMI ST79 standards to support safe and effective use in healthcare facilities.

Learning Objectives:

-Identify the challenges and environmental impact of traditional blue wrap sterilization.
-Describe the design and functional advantages of reusable sterilization containers.
-Explain how wrap-free containers are designed improve efficiency, cost savings, and sustainability.
-Recognize the clinical and operational benefits for patients and healthcare facilities.
-Apply best practices for cleaning and handling containers per ANSI/AAMI ST79 guidelines.

Speaker: 
Carrie Armellino is a Marketing Manager at KARL STORZ North America, where she oversees marketing initiatives for cleaning and reprocessing products. With more than 15 years of experience in medical device marketing, Carrie brings a strong background in communicating complex topics with clarity and purpose. She holds a Master’s degree in Fine Art and is currently pursuing certification as a Certified Central Service Vendor Partner (CCSVP) through HSPA.

Eligible for 1 CE