Live Webinar: Thursday, January 22nd, 2026 - 10:00-11:00(CST) An in-depth description of what every healthcare worker should know about steam sterilization is discussed in this presentation. Explanations and discussions of the necessary steps in monitoring, testing and quality control of sterilization processes is a highlighted focus during this educational offering. The second half of the presentation will discuss what is a ONE TRAY® and the impact that it could have on your delivery of patient care. Objectives: List the three essential conditions that must be met for an item to be considered sterile. Describe the types and applications of steam sterilization monitoring and testing devices. Discuss AAMI, FDA, CMS, and state regulatory guidance for steam sterilization processes. Speakers: Barbara Ann Harmer, MHA, BSN, RN VP of Clinical Services Innovative Sterilization Technologies, LLC Barbara Ann Harmer is the Vice President of Clinical Services at Innovative Sterilization Technologies, LLC. Barbara is a highly skilled, knowledgeable and visionary perioperative nursing leader with over 48 years of administrative and clinical management and internal and external consulting experience in both inpatient, outpatient and multi-campus healthcare facilities. She is the founder and President of MedAssist Consultants Inc., a highly respected and experienced consulting company for over 46 years. She has successfully provided medical and surgical consulting services to over 325 clients nationally and internationally. Barbara Ann ís record demonstrates increasingly challenging healthcare leadership positions. She is sought after as a speaker for local, regional and national symposiums and conventions. Ms. Harmer has been a member of AORN since 1977; she is an active member of four AAMI working committees, ST/WG 40 - Steam Sterilization hospital practices (ST79) and ST/WG 84 ñ Endoscope Reprocessing (ST91), ST/WG 17, Cleaning and Disinfection, and ST/WG 12 Instructions for Reusable Device Reprocessing. She has participated as a member of the Advisory Committee/WG 40 and assisted in the rework and redesign of ANSI/AAMI ST79: 2017 Comprehensive guide to steam sterilization and sterility assurance in health care facilities. Ms. Harmer has also worked on the development of the AAMI TIR 109, External transport of medical devices processed by health care facilities and AAMI TIR 99, Processing of dilators, transesophageal and ultrasound probes in health care facilities. Ms. Harmer is a past national president of the ophthalmic nursing organization, ASORN, Inc. She was a surveyor for AAAHC for twenty-four years and had conducted CMS surveys since the inception of deemed status surveys in 1996. She is a member of AORN, Inc., ASORN, Inc. and HSPA (formerly known as IAHCSMM). Eligible for 1 CE

On Demand Webinar: Tuesday, January 20th, 2026 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 how to stay in touch with HSPA, certification program updates, and certification department processing expectations. Learning Objectives: 1. Stay informed and keep in touch with HSPA 2. Certification program updates and reminders 3. Managing (or understanding?) application and certification renewal processing expectations No CE is offered for this webinar

Live Webinar: Thursday, October 9th, 2025 - 10:00-11:00(CST) Effective communication between sterile processing departments (SPD) and other healthcare teams is essential for ensuring patient safety, surgical efficiency, and overall quality of care. This session explores the critical role of interdepartmental collaboration, highlighting common communication challenges and practical strategies to overcome them. Participants will gain insights into the workflows of SPD and clinical teams and learn tools for improving information exchange. Whether you're in SPD, nursing, surgery, or administration, this session will equip you with actionable techniques to strengthen teamwork and enhance outcomes across your organization. Learning objectives 1. Identify common communication barriers between sterile processing departments (SPD) and other healthcare teams, and describe their impact on patient safety and workflow efficiency. 2. Explain the roles and responsibilities of sterile processing professionals and how they intersect with surgical, nursing, and clinical teams. 3. Demonstrate effective communication strategies that foster collaboration and mutual understanding across interdisciplinary teams. 4. Apply tools and techniques (e.g., standardized handoff protocols, checklists, and digital communication platforms) to improve information exchange and reduce errors. Guest: Torres Teakell, Clinical Solutions Manager at Medline Eligible for 1 CE

Live Webinar: Thursday, September 25th, 2025 - 10:00-11:00(CST) Staff education is critical to department success! This program will address challenges in delivering in-service education to all SP staff. We will address common questions like how do we reach both experienced and newer employees, what information and experiences will leave a lasting impression on staff and more. Join us as we discuss some fresh options for staff in-services. Bring your ideas and suggestions to share. Let’s all learn from each other! Learning Objectives: 1. Identify the challenges to planning an effective in-service program 2. Discuss options and alternatives to present information to the SP staff 3. Review ideas to enhance staff in-services Natalie Lind is the Education Director for the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA). Natalie has extensive experience in the sterile processing profession, having served as a technician, department manager and director, professional educator, consultant, and author. Along with her experience in healthcare facilities, Natalie served as Program Director for the Minnesota State College and University Health Systems’ Processing program for 11 years. She holds a Fellowship in Sterile Processing and has served as education editor for two national magazines. Natalie has published over 200 articles on a wide variety of sterile processing topics and participated in the development of several HSPA (IAHCSMM) publications. Natalie has presented several programs on sterile processing techniques throughout the United States and has partnered with facilities in Russia, China, Japan, Latin America, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to provide sterile processing education. She is the recipient of several awards including two International SP Educator of the Year Awards, the Minnesota Excellence in Technical Education Award, and three IAHCSMM’s President’s awards. In 2022, Natalie was awarded the HSPA Award of Honor. Eligible for 1 CE

This brief webinar explains the importance of practicing proper hand hygiene and provides an overview of the steps involved.

This webinar highlights the importance of following good reprocessing and PPE practices to protect against splash in the reprocessing suite.

This webinar provides an introduction to sterile processing via virtual tours.

This webinar will provide information about insoluble products like simethicone, lubricants, and tissue glue that may impact endoscope reprocessing effectiveness.

This webinar unlocks the keys to using the scientific method and evidence to support decision-making about factors that impact health and safety.

This webinar describes common sense strategies for identifying issues and improving quality with ultrasound probes.