Director, Sterile Processing

Location

Marietta, GA | United States

Job description

The Director of Sterile Processing (SPD) reports to the Executive Director of Surgical Services at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center. As a member of the leadership team, this individual is responsible for developing a vision and executable plan to attain world class quality and safety processes and procedures across the hospital and all hospital outpatient departments.

The Director of SPD is responsible for developing, planning and implementation of key clinical quality, safety and accreditation initiatives as defined by hospital leadership and regulatory agencies for Kennestone Regional Medical Center, Acworth Health Park, Windy Hill Hospital, East Cobb Health Park and Cherokee Health Park. The director is also responsible for the SPD educators across the system.The Director of SPD major accountabilities include: planning, organizing, developing, coordinating and directing the operations of the department;
coordinating related services performed for other departments. This person will also ensure quality of service and supplies to patients and to the hospital and will implement strategies that will financially and administratively enhance the service and functioning of the department. In addition, this leader will work to effectively integrate functions and coordinate collaboration across the care continuum; including sites on and off campus under the Kennestone umbrella. The Director of SPD will be accountable to ensure successful development and deployment of the departments strategy to all care sites and services lines at Kennestone Regional Medical Center.

This individual will partner with external organizations to ensure regulatory compliance and best practice efforts. Ensures sterilization equipment is monitored and maintained to meet sterilization parameters. Develop policies and procedures in accordance with AAMI, The Joint Commission (TJC), and OSHA guidelines.

The individual in this role will identify opportunities to optimize performance, build internal competencies and create a more rigorous approach to the process of procuring sterile instrumentation. The establishment of a culture of ownership, teamwork, responsibility, and accountability will be a foundational characteristic for this role. He/she utilizes sound interpersonal skills ensuring communication with employees, physicians, and customers to resolve problems and assure proper coordination between departments. The Director of SPD participates as an active part of Wellstar's leadership team in developing and implementing Kennestone and System strategic quality plans and initiatives. Demonstrates sound critical thinking skills ensuring that all necessary instruments and supplies are available for each surgical procedure.

In addition to the above responsibiliites, the Director of Sterile Processing will be the designated "Subject Matter Expert" fo the Wellstar Health System sterile processing. This position will advance Wellstar's mission to enhance the health and wellbeing of every person we servie by an ongoing evaluation and oversight of all sterile processing issues that ultimately impact patient experience.

Results-Oriented Leadership of Sterile Processing:

• Oversight for the development of standards as related to SPD in accordance with regulatory agencies that support sterile processing and in coordination with the WellStar strategic plan and goals.
• Supervises the daily performance of all employees. Provides feedback and constructive criticism to employees to improve performance.
• Assists hospital departments in the proper use of sterilized and contaminated instruments.
• Develops and implements departmental performance activities and assures on going staff participation.
• Conducts an annual assessment of the sterile processing PI Plan, providing a written report, and revising the plan as indicated.
• Collaborates with leaders to align priorities and resources with hospital and system goals
• Plan and implement and provide appropriate support for key clinical quality and safety initiatives.
• Provide strategic direction and guidance on quality, safety and accreditation to operational leaders and timelines for new guidelines, regulations and processes.
• Maintains adequate inventory of instruments while being fiscally minded.
• Ensures established procedures and standards of practice are followed for decontamination, cleaning, processing, assembly and sterilization of reusable instrumentation.
• Participate in quality review of programs that includes LEAN principles.
• Provides a comprehensive competency based departmental orientation to all areas of SPD (decontamination, prep and pack, sterilization, case carts) to all new employees and
  continuting education on an ongoing basis.

Maintains state of continuous survey readiness by:

• Coordinates and facilitates tracers and mock survey in accordance to regulatory agencies.
• Assures that they are conducted as required with timely reporting and support to hospital departments and managers. Participates in system-wide mock survey activities.
• Routinely reviews regulatory and accreditation standards. Ensure compliance by providing education, and assisting with proactive identification of non-compliant practices.
• Identifies high risk areas for regulatory compliance and facilitates education and process improvement efforts to create alignment and compliance

Oversees Daily Operations of the Department by:

• Oversight and direction of HR functions for the department which includes interviewing, hiring and orienting staff in collaboration with managers, the educator and SPD leadership.
• Responsible for team building across departments.
• Oversight for completing performance evaluations in a timely manner.
• Oversight for time keeping for teams & responsible for managing schedules/time and attendance.
• Conducting regular meetings with direct reports, SPD Staff and supporting individual developmental goals.
• Rounds on staff and customers on a regular basis.
• Develops operating and capital budgets in coordination with hospital and system initiatives; monitors to ensure variance analysis and resolution.
• Implements new or revised programs of the department.

Required for All Jobs

• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Complies with all WellStar Health System policies, standards of work, and code of conduct.

Required Minimum Education:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Master's Degree in business nursing or healthcare administration preferred.

Required Minimum Experience:

• Seven (7) to ten (10) years of progressive clinical leadership experience, with a minimum of five (5) years in management at the manager and/or director level required.
• Previous experience with proven leadership in regulatory and accreditation survey readiness, quality improvement in a large acute care system or facility required, including demonstrated ability in interpreting quality metrics to lead actionable change required.
• Proficient regarding the transport, testing, cleaning, inspection, disinfection/sterilization, and storage of instruments, supplies and endoscopes in accordance with industry standards, guidelines and regulations, and manufacturer’s instructions for use required.

Required Minimum Skills:

• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and work with all levels of healthcare providers including physicians.
• Ability to perform duties and responsibilities promptly and consistently with little direct supervision.
• Ability to execute a plan and use project management methodology.
• Ability to plan and direct activities of others and objectively appraise and analyze their job performance.
• Ability to work collaboratively with other departments within and outside the Hospital.
• Direct the work, practices, and procedures of a major work group.
• Establish the unit’s priorities, control budgets and costs, assure work quality; may have subordinate supervisory staff.
• Strong computer skills required. Excellent communication, presentation and organization skills required.

Required Minimum License(s) and Certification(s):

• Cert Reg Central Service Tech (CRCST) required.

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We’d like to invite you on a career journey like no other! In return for your contributions, we’ll help you make the most of all life’s moments – on and off the job. Wellstar Total Rewards is designed to provide for your total well-being, including: Your Wellness, Your Pay, Your Future, Your Joy. We think it’s pretty simple – we care for our team members and our team members care for the community.

Make a difference in patients’ lives… and your own! Here, it’s more than healthcare – it’s CareerCare!

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