Surgical instruments require consistent care from use, through processing and storage, and back to the procedural area. This care saves healthcare systems money and, more importantly, assures that practitioners have the tools that they need, when they need them, to improve patient outcomes. We know from manufacturers’ instructions for use (IFU) and peer-reviewed research that the care of surgical instruments, both simple and complex, begins at the point of use (POU). But how can Sterile Processing professionals communicate effectively with our procedural partners about POU treatment of instruments?

In episode 129, host Casey Czarnowski talks with Tami Heacock, System Director of Sterile Processing at Lee Health, about POU treatment (not cleaning!) and its importance to our work in patient care. She discusses guidelines and standards that are available for encouraging POU treatment and strategies for talking with procedural partners about its importance.

Guest Info: 
Tamera Heacock, MBA, CRCST, CIS, CHL, CNIM
System Director of Sterile Processing
Lee Health

Tamera Heacock is the System Director of Sterile Processing for Lee Health in Fort Myers, Florida. She began her career as a surgical technologist at BroMenn and has been a perioperative business manager, SPD manager and IOM technologist. She holds the CRCST, CIS, CHL and CNIM certifications and received her MBA in 2020. Heacock serves on AAMI standards working groups and advisory boards for ASP, Beyond Clean and Surgio. She has spoken at the Censis Technologies User Conference, presented at HSPA annual conferences and chapter meetings, and served as a subject matter expert for the CHL exam.