Principal / Premium Partners

Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Get Adobe Flash player

IAHCSMM News

newstop
newsbottom

Home

Search

Chapter News

Please click here for Submission Standards for Communique and online Chapter News.

Arizona State Association of Central Service Professionals

Immediately following our January meeting, a meeting of the ASACSP was held to discuss the progress of our efforts to make certification mandatory in our state. Regrettably, the news was not what we had hoped. As you may know, the State of Arizona is in the midst of a financial crisis. We have been advised by several legislators and other individuals involved in the political process that we should postpone our efforts for a few months. This will allow our legislators to devote all of their time to the financial well-being of our state. However, we have no intention of giving up on our goal. We will continue to seek support for our cause within the industry so we can be fully prepared when it is time to meet with our legislature.

back to top

California Central Service Association Chapter

CCSA is continuing the state-wide education seminars.

Region 5 & 6 (Fresno, Modesto, Bakersfield area) held several half-day sessions in various areas throughout the region and were very successful. That region is also hosting a joint seminar with APIC and AORN on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010, at Children’s Hospital Central California in Madera. The faculty includes: Stephen Kovach of HealthMark Industries, Betty Strickland, Pryce Consultants, and Michele McKinley of STERIS Corp. Topics include: “How to Reduce Flash Sterilization,” “Infection Control Practitioner’s Survival Guide to Understanding Sterile Processing,” among others.

Regions 1, 2, 3 & 4 (Northern California) will be presenting their yearly seminar on January 23, 2010, at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. Topics for this event include: “Cleaning and Decontamination,” “Infection Prevention Technologies,” “Team Building in CS,” and “Improving Relationships between Sterile Processing and Surgery.” Faculty includes Arthur Henderson of STERIS, Charles Hughes of SPSmedical, Rose Seavey of Seavey Healthcare Consulting, and Timothy Parsons, CRCST, CPD Educator, John Muir Medical Center.

Regions 7 & 9 (Inland Empire and Orange County) held a successful seminar on December 5, 2009, with more than 125 attendees. The seminar was held at Tustin Medical Center. Speakers included CCSA Board Members Eileen Flavin-Samon and Marilyn Conde, and Bruce Sleboda of SPSmedical.

Region 8 (Los Angeles and Ventura Counties) is currently planning its annual seminar, which will be held in early April. Location, topic and speakers to be announced.

The biggest event for CCSA this year is the 25th Annual Conference, which will be held August 28-29, 2010, at the Crown Plaza Redondo Beach and Marina Hotel, in Redondo Beach. We are planning a great program, with many surprises.

The speaker list for this program includes:

  • Sue Klacik, CSS Manger, St. Elizabeth Health Care
  • Betty Strickland, President, Pryce Consultants
  • Gene Ricupito, Microsystems
  • Marilyn Conde, Manager, Material Management, St. Francis Medical Center; Secretary/Treasurer IAHCSMM
  • Rose Seavey, President/CEO Rose Seavey Healthcare Consulting Inc.
  • Jean Sargent, Director Supply Chain, USC Health Sciences
  • Scott Davis, Material Manager, Surgical Services University Medical Center of Southern Nevada
  • Cory Nestman, Sr. Professional Consultant, SterilTek, STERIS Corp.
  • Patti Koncur, Director Central Sterile processing, DMC, Detroit Medical Center Hospital
  • Charles Hughes, General Manager/Educator, SPSmedical
  • Stephen Kovach, HealthMark Industries
  • Keynote speaker TBA

This year’s program promises to be the best yet.

back to top

Cascade Chapter

The Cascade Chapter held its annual fall seminar on October 1-2, 2010, at Chinooks Winds Resort/Casino, Lincoln City, OR. We had a great turnout with great speakers and a wonderful vendor fair. It was decided that annual membership to the chapter will be free starting in 2011. Just log onto our website and fill out the online membership application (www.nwcascadechapter.org).

On October 23, 2010, the Washington/Oregon committee for certification held a dinner at the downtown Marriott in Seattle, WA, for our grassroots efforts for certification. Our own Joe LeBouef presented material to an audience of sterile processing management, Infection Preventionists and administrators.

We also had a phone-in presentation by IAHCSMM’s Government Affairs Director, Jo Colacci, who provided us with information as to what her plans were to assist in our efforts for required certification in Washington and Oregon and the rest of the country.

We will be holding our annual Spring Seminar at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene Oregon on March 12, 2011. It’s sure to be a great time to network with other professionals in the industry as well as a great educational opportunity. You can get more information on what’s happening in our area as well as upcoming educational offerings via our website www.nwcascadechapter.org .

We hope to have a summer seminar towards the end of June, and our annual fall seminar in late September or early October. Together, we are committed to continue our culture of shared learning within the industry by bringing quality educators and vendors to bring our membership the most comprehensive and up to date information and standards of practice out there.

Please feel free to contact any of the Cascade Chapter Executive board for more information on upcoming seminars, meetings or on how to become involved:

Kim Corless, President
 gkcorliss@comcast.net

Joe LeBouef, President-Elect
 Joseph.F.Lebouef@kp.org

Brian McCormick, Treasurer
 Brian.McCormick@providence.org

Don Williams, Secretary
 dwilliams@samhealth.org

back to top

Central Indiana Chapter

wo thumbs up to the 18 Clarian Health Central Service Technician Program graduates! Thirteen have applied immediately to take their certification exam, and over the past couple of weeks, I have received several phone calls from excited new CRCSTs. The names of the graduates are: Anthony Andrews, Dario Baker, Nicole Baxter, Martin Buehler, Keely Doyle, Gregory Edmonds, Tawanda Gardfrey, Jessica Hauck, Joseph Higgs, Marvin Jackson, Jarah Kindrick, Toni Kindrick, Lynne Kramer, David Robinson, Thomas Max Smalbach, Genetta Smith, Samantha Turman, and Stevie Wilson.

Class Picture

Thank you to the 19 Hoosiers who attended the IAHCSMM conference in San Diego. Special thanks to Mary Brown, CRCST, for taking the time to attend and accept the Peggy Ryan, RN, Technician Achievement Award.

The Central Indiana Chapter will be hosting its next seminar Friday, October 8, 2010. This is a great opportunity to accrue continuing education points to send in to IAHCSMM. For more information, contact Lana Phillips: (317) 962-8925;
e-mail: lphillips@clarian.org, or Dave Mathis: (317) 217-3457,
e-mail: dmathis@clarian.org.

back to top

Central New York HealthCare Central Service Professional

1

Members from the WNY Association of SPD Managers joined 94 attendees and 22 vendors at the Welch-Allyn Lodge in Skaneateles, NY, for their Spring educational seminar. The CNYHCCSP Board of Directors treated attendees to a wine tasting and appetizers happy hour. That was the beginning of a great program.

2

The Welch-Allyn Lodge was absolutely beautiful and, most importantly, large enough to accommodate all the vendors and attendees. The education program presenters were Fred Alton, Bob Marrs, Nancy Chobin, Chuck Hughes, and Nyla “Skee” Japp. The topic: It Is All About Us.

3

back to top

The Eastern Pennsylvania Association of Central Services

Eastern Pennsylvania Association of Central Service held its Fall Seminar on Saturday, October 9, 2010. The seminar was held at Lehigh Valley Hospital.

We enjoyed a full day of presentations from our speakers. Nancy Chobin spoke on Product Testing. Scott Swartz spoke about Care and Handling of Surgical Instruments and presented an Instrument Lab after the vendor fair and lunch. Bob Marrs spoke on Loaner Instrumentation. We would like to thank IAHCSMM, our speakers and vendors. Our chapter is a non-profit association and all of our proceeds support our chapter members for continuing education.

There will not be an EPACS meeting held in January or February. There will be an EPACS Officers Organizational meeting held on Thursday, February 10, 2011, at the Starlite Diner, in Allentown, PA, at 5PM. The first EPACS meeting of 2011 will be held on Thursday, March 10 at the Starlite Diner.

Our chapter meets on the second Thursday of the month from March through November. Our meetings are held at the Starlite Diner on Route 100 near Allentown. Dinner is at 5PM and the speaker starts at 6PM. Contact hours are always provided. Anyone interested in more information, please contact Georgina Long, EPACS President, at longg@sln.org, or Peggy Shaplin, EPACS Secretary, at mshaplin@phoebe.org.

 

back to top

Grand Canyon Chapter

Greetings from Arizona! Our September meeting was held on the 25th at 9AM at Gateway Community College in Phoenix. Thank you, Gateway, for the use of your beautiful auditorium, and for your continued support. Tim Todack from Synthes presented an interesting and interactive program on “External Fixation: Principles, Concepts & Applications.” Tim also supplied breakfast for 45 attendees. Thank you, Tom and Synthes!

Eighth Annual Conference

pic 1

Our 8th annual conference,“CS/SPD – Exceptional People Meeting Exceptional Challenges,” was held Saturday, Oct. 9, from 8AM-5PM at the Fiesta Resort & Conference Center in Tempe. A get-acquainted dinner took place Friday night. We are pleased to report that our conference was an overwhelming success! A total of 228 attendees from five states rated our conference 8.89 on a scale of 1 to 10.

Our speakers were John Nies from BeliMed; Nola Bayes, an independent educator and consultant, and also the Sterile Processing and Transport Services Manager at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, NH; Cynthia Spry, an independent clinical consultant; and Diana Jordan, a healthcare humorist who has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey television show. All speakers were rated among the highest we have ever had. Diana Jordan earned the highest rating and will be speaking at the national IAHCSMM conference in Louisville, KY, in May.

We would like to thank our 27 vendors for their support and we would especially like to thank our sponsors: BeliMed, Getinge, Medisafe America, SPSmedical, STERIS, and 3M. We realize that without the support of our vendors and sponsors, our conference would not have been the success it was.

pic 2

Ninth Annual Conference

We are already working on our 2011 conference. The dates and location have already been set. Our conference will again be held at Tempe’s Fiesta Resort and Conference Center. The conference will take place Saturday, October 15 with a get-acquainted dinner Friday evening.

back to top

Greater Rochester & Finger Lakes Central Service Association

Frank Riggi coordinated the Board of Directors annual fall meeting, which was held in Rochester at the Radisson Hotel (because the city and the hotel will host the NYSACSP Annual Conference and Vendor Exhibit from 2012 to 2014). On our arrival to the hotel each of us were immediately greeted by Mary Beth Lazarski, Assistant Director of Sales. During our meeting we were pleasantly surprised when the hotel staff came to the board room and introduced themselves.

On your first visit you will understand why the Radisson was our choice. The hotel is located in the heart of down town Rochester and sits on the banks of the Geneses River. The area offers fine dining, a theater district and historical museums. For more area information, visit these Rochester websites:

www.rochesterdown town.com/about/about.dss1.html and www.VisitRochester.com.

back to top

Hampton Roads Sterile Processing & Central Service Association

The HRSP&CSA held its Economic Stimulus Education Program, which was sponsored by STERIS and Kimberly-Clark for six continuing education credits. The group of 20 attendees received many updates to their working world. The next educational program will be in October, just in time for National Healthcare Central Service & Sterile Processing Week. Stay tuned for more information.

back to top

Heart of Ohio Chapter

pic 1

“Innovation: The Second Annual Ohio Sterile Processing Association Meeting” was held October 1-3, 2010, at the Cherry Valley Lodge in Newark, OH. The three-day event highlighted an emphasis on “innovation” and how the sterile processing profession must be innovative to meet the challenges of a dynamic work environment. All four Ohio-based IAHCSMM Chapters worked together to present the event to foster team building and to promote state mandated certification.

Dr. Wava Truscott was the kickoff speaker on Friday night and gave a detailed presentation on “Bio-Film: The Things You Never Thought of” to over 45 attendees. She engaged the audience with the science and the consequences of allowing bio-films to form and contaminate medical devices. Martha Young later gave updates on AAMI ST79 with a team exercise via the Jeopardy game. The six teams were evenly matched throughout the night until the final Jeopardy question was asked. Prizes were awarded to the top three winning teams.

pic 2

The second day of the conference had 72 in attendance and was lead by Richard Schule, former IAHCSMM President and current Director of Education for the Steris Corporation. Richard gave a presentation on adapting new products and technologies. Other notable presentations were given by nationally known speakers such as Nancy Chobin, Rose Seavey and Diana Chamberlin.

On last day finished strong with the IAHCSMM educator Natalie Lind on “Instilling Confidence in CSPD”, Wayne McPeek on CSPD Safety, and with our Ohio organization President, Sandy Maupin on “The Cost of Patient Safety.” Several pictures (attached) show several of our presenters during the seminar.

pic 3

Several attendees commented that the Ohio conference was “actually like the national conference” but in “our own back yard”. Many positive comments were shared with regards to the accommodations, the meals, and the “world-class” caliber of the speakers. At the end of the day, 13 CEUs were awarded to the attendees. The message of the importance of the development of new CSPD technology and striving toward patient safety with state certification was carried back to the many healthcare facilities represented. The folks at Cherry Valley did a wonderful job and treated our quests to a comfortable and wonderful learning experience.

I would like to thank the committee of Sandy Maupin, Marie Long, Kay Huston, Rod Chamberlin, Rafael Fernandez, Kathy Ly, and John Best for making the second annual meeting a success. Please mark your calendars for next year’s event at the same location.

 

back to top

Illinois Eastern Missouri Central Service Organization

At the July meeting of IEMCSO, the following offices were filled:

President: Lynn McKinney, RN, CRCST, VA Medical Center

Vice President: Mary Jo Zykan, CRCST, Saint Anthony’s Health Center

Treasurer: Doris Ruby, CRCST, St. Luke’s Medical Center

Nominating Committee: Ron Muckenstrum, CRCST, FCS, Memorial Health Center and Lisa Huber, CRCST, ACE, FCS, Anderson Hospital

Thank you for your service to our chapter!

Save the date for IEMCSO’s Annual Spring Seminar scheduled for April 2, 2011.

back to top

Kansas Society Healthcare for Central Service Professionals

The Kansas Society Healthcare for Central Service Professionals is happy to announce that it had 72 attendees at its last educational workshop, which took place September 23-24, 2010, at the Central Plains Expo.

We closed out the year with an education program at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence, KS, Nov 13. Mary Hall, General Manager of Technical Operations from Specialty Medical Systems Inc. spoke on “Care and Handling of Endoscopes”; 3M provided us with Kimberly Banburg, RN, Med, CNOR, CSPDT and she presented on the topic “What Every SP Professional Should Know about the Critical Issues in the Steam Sterilization Process.” She also provided an ST79 update. Gina Hawkins presented written materials for Contact Hours. A board meeting was held after the workshop.

Our annual meeting was held September 23, 2010, and we elected new board members whom will start January 2011.

We are proud to announce that we now have 101 members. Thomas Forster, our membership chairman, has done a great job.

We started a study group that meets every Saturday morning to study from the sterile processing certification books. There are six to ten members attending these sessions. We are trying to promote certification and this is one way we can help our members achieve their certification goals. KSHCSP offers two scholarships for certification and two scholarships for recertification.

back to top

Keystone State Association of Sterile Processing Professionals

KASPP, STERIS Small Chapter of the Year, 2009

1

On September 18, 2010, Keystone State Association of Sterile Processing Professionals held its Fourth Annual Educational Seminar, “Scenes of Service,” at Lancaster General Hospital Stager Conference Centers, Lancaster, PA. We had more than 130 attendees, 15 Vendors, and a lot of scrumptious food. The day was a great success.

Featured speakers were Natalie Lind, IAHCSMM Educational Director, PA State Representative Mauree Gingrich, and Theta Grimaud, Ergonomic Safety Specialist. Our topics included:

  • Partnering for Patient Safety; Building Bridges Between OR and CS
    Doing More With Less
  • Physical Risks in Your Environment
  • Mandatory Certification for SPD Technicians
  • All-day attendance granted six (6) Contact Hours approved by IAHCSMM and CBSPD.

The vendors/manufacturers were on hand to display their wares, introduce new products, award prizes, and share a multitude of information. The Vendor Exhibit, held in the Stager Conference Center adjacent to the classroom, was very well-received and -attended. There was time to meet new people, network with co-workers, and enjoy the many different phases of the day.

We are already planning our Fifth Annual KASPP Educational Seminar, so save the date – October 1, 2011. Seats will be limited, so watch for more detail and sign up early! More information will be coming soon.

KASPP continues to prepare for growth and monthly meetings throughout 2010/2011. During the last couple months our educational offerings have been very informative and much new information has been brought to our attention.

3

October Meeting Topic was: “Go Green in Healthcare & SPD.” Our November Meeting Topic was: “Chapter Advancement & Education.” The presentations were informative and enjoyed by all. KASPP granted one (1) Contact Hour (approved by IAHCSMM and CBSPD) to attendees, at no charge to members.

We followed the presentations with our regularly scheduled business meetings. Thanks to our members, great refreshments were enjoyed by all.

4

We have already begun planning our 2011 agenda of topics for our educational offerings. Many exciting and informative subjects will be discussed, including AAMI Updates, Loaner Instrumentation Policies, Specialty Instrumentation, and much more. Join us for a great learning experience and become part of a progressive, fast-growing chapter.

Anyone wishing more information may contact one of the KASPP officers (contact information below) or Sue Dickel, KASPP Secretary, at (717) 544-4854 or sfdickel@lancastergeneral.org.

KASPP Officers:

President: Linda M Coulombe, RN, BS, EdC, CNOR, CRCST
lmcoulom@lancastergeneral.org

Treasurer: Susan Fortier, RN
sfortier@wellspan.org

Secretary: Susan Dickel
sfdickel@lancastergeneral.org

5

If you are interesting in attending a monthly meeting, KASPP meets the second Tuesday of the month at Lancaster General Hospital, Lancaster, PA. This includes an educational offering (contact hour provided) at 6PM, followed by the business meeting at 7PM.

6

If you are interested in being part of KASPP, a progressive and fun chapter with many opportunities for networking and learning, join us and help take Sterile Processing to the future! Contact Susan Dickel at sfdickel@lancastergeneral.org or (717) 544-4854 and she will send your membership information.

7

8

 

10

back to top

Long Island Association for Central Service

The new LIACS chapter officers for 2010-2011 are:

  • Dan Bialt, President
  • Melody Traversi, Treasurer
  • Kathleen Froehlich, Secretary
  • Larry Guittard, Past President
  • Denise Maxwell, Director
  • Joe Amadeo, 1-Year Ex-Officio
  • Don Gordon, 2-Year Ex-Officio

Golf Outing

LIACS held its annual golf outing at Rock Hill Golf and Country Club on July 12. Chairperson Dan Bialt incorporated some new twists this year, including the ability for golfers to purchase a five-foot rope for $10 to move your ball to a better lie during the event. Golfers also received five raffle tickets for a drawing to win a bottle of Patron Silver tequila.

Assisting Bialt throughout the event was Lisa Carabott (who arranged the food for the event, including a fantastic lobster dinner) and her husband Bill. Also helping out throughout the day with registration, refreshments for the golfers and photos were Corrine Van Note and Melody Traversi.

LIACS

This year, we were able to give away nine Certification scholarships, with the textbooks and exam fee included. In addition, we raised more than $3,000 for other educational initiatives.

The night was capped off with award presentations to Larry Guittard for his multiple terms as president of our organization and Corrine Van Note, who has contributed so much through the years and retired in June.

LIACS2

We would like to thank our 22 vendors for their tremendous support to make this fund-raising event so enjoyable and successful. Without their support, it would not be possible.

back to top

Maryland Association Sterile Processing Professionals

On April 24, 2010, MASPP presented its Annual Spring Educational Seminar. Anne Arundel Medical Center hosted the event. The location was wonderful and the new educational center in the Health Sciences Pavilion far exceeded our expectations. The event was attended by 103 CS, OR, and Infection Control personnel. Speakers included Myrna Kauffman from STERIS Corp., Francis Zieman from 3M Corp., Ray Taurasi from Healthmark Corp., and Paula Hoffman from Total Repair Expresss Inc. Topics focused on Improving Patient Safety through Evidence-Based Practice. Lots of wonderful information, as well as interactive sessions, were beneficial for all in attendance. This conference presented attendees with six CEUs from IAHCSMM and CBSPD. We also held a brainstorming session with all of the CS department managers in attendance at this meeting. We took some time over lunch to discuss some future thoughts and plans for the Maryland Chapter, as well as ideas to help standardize some practices in CS departments across the state. More information will follow as this group continues to meet.

The next event for the Maryland Chapter will be in October 2010. This event will be educational, but also will be our Annual Vendor Fair. We have already received some correspondence from vendors who are interested in displaying their products. We are anticipating another great turnout. More information will follow once we obtain the final location and date. .

back to top

The Massachusetts Chapter for Central Service Professionals

MASS

The Massachusetts Chapter for Central Service Professionals, along with Massachusetts AORN Chapter 1 and the Massachusetts Assembly of Surgical Technologists, held the first-ever joint meeting. The meeting was at Mass Bay Community College in Wellesley. A total of 490 attendees, 45 vendors, 115 manufacturer representatives, and students attended the all-day event. The turnout and the speakers were great. Rose Seavey, Cheron Rojo, Marsha Hardick, Debbie Malloy, and Jayne McPherson all did outstanding jobs. A special thanks to Bob Brigham, as well, for all his coordination with our vendors!

Attendees were great while waiting out a minor technical issue. Many thanks went out during the event to all those who helped, but we personally would like to mention some others that were not mentioned at the time. Ryan Furtado of Lahey Clinic Medical Center took many great photos of the event that may be viewed at www.masschapter.com. John H Dzialo from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center also took a lot of great photos. we would also like to thank Julie Hemenway, Ryan Furtado and Karen Nauss for helping set up the first annual “Wrap Olympics.” A special thanks also goes out to Penny and Jody from KC.

The event was fun and was a great opportunity to show the importance of Instructions for Use. we would also like to thank all our vendors who provided their support (with over 40 vendor tables)!

We would like to give a special thanks to Dana Thomas of Mass Bay who ensured all was ready and made sure any potential issues were being dealt with from the support side of MBCC. She is a true unsung hero! Also, thanks to Alma, Deb And Julie’s mom for working the registration.

This event, the first of its kind, was aptly named because it showed that we truly are all in this together. There was great teamwork by all groups to make this happen and the meeting showed what we as healthcare workers can do as team to achieve results. We enjoyed meeting many of the members of the various groups that attended including the MBCC student volunteers, vendors and the MBCC facilities staff.

We were contacted by Ray Taurasi a day after the event. Ray was a Past-President of the MCCSP — or the MAHCSMM as it was known when it first was created back in 1956. The following is a part of his message to me and Karen Nauss: “As you probably know, for years the Mass chapter was the strongest and most active organization within IAHCSMM. The Mass chapter is also older than IAHCSMM. For years, we preserved the old records of the MAHCSMM, starting back to the very first meeting in 1956 when five or six CS nurses met in a home in Brookline...all the early notes and records were handwritten . I know how hard you worked to put it all together. Your many efforts were evident in every detail. The Mass chapter RULES!!!! The Mass chapter is also the oldest CS organization in the USA — formed back in 1956—which means 2011 will be the 55th anniversary year. Hopefully, we can all celebrate the auspicious occasion. If you decide to celebrate the event I would be more than happy to assist. Again KUDOS on the success of the joint program this past weekend but above all for reviving the chapter!!”

Ray is also a Past-President of IAHCSMM. We were thrilled to have him attend our event!

The MCCSP is working on its next event in January, which should be a more scaled-down half- day event with a couple of outstanding speakers. Hopefully, we will do something again like this in the future. We learned a lot from the speakers, but also from the event itself and how to make our future events better. Thank you all for your support of the MCCSP!

As Ray mentions, The Mass Chapter Rules!!

Minnesota HealthCare Central Service Members Association

On October 7-8, 2010, the Minnesota HealthCare Central Service Members Association held its Annual Upper Midwest Health Expo at the Mermaid Entertainment & Event Center in Mounds View, MN. This conference was open to Central Service and Supply Chain Management specialists.

This year, we had a group of wonderful speakers, which included the following:

  • “Energizing Your Life and Career from the Inside Out!” by Jermaine Davis
  • “Update on Flash Sterilization” by Mike Festa & Susan Flynn
  • “The State of the Industry” by Marlowe Dazley
  • “Health Care Industry” by Dr. Harry Greenspun
  • “C. Diff” by Dr. W. Slattery
  • “Bariatric Products Purchasing -- A Patient’s Perspective” by Robert Stuedli
  • “Prevention to Redemption” by Vikki Sanders
  • “Safe Handling and Decontamination of Reusable Medical Devices” by Chris King
  • Introducing Optical Character Recognition to Supply Chain” by Robin Balliet
  • “Strong Body, Strong Mind” by Ron Henderson

Also on October 7, after the education sessions, there was a vendor fair with many vendors and products for us to view and ask questions about. Thank you to all of the excellent presenters and all of the individuals that helped make this Annual Conference such a success. If you are interested in attending this conference next year, please visit our website at www.mhcsma.org. For membership information please contact Ginger Bullock at ginger.bullock@northmemorial.com.

back to top

New York City Association for Central Service Professionals

The NYCACSP has been very busy pursuing mandatory certification in the state. The NYCACSP’s agenda has been full promoting educational programs co-sponsored by the Chapter and their Corporate Sponsors; holding certification courses; meeting with educational agencies to establish educational programs in colleges and occupational centers; and meeting with labor unions and elected officials to gain support for the NY State Central Service Technician bill.

This bill, once passed, will require mandatory certification for CS technicians in New York State. Our members feel it is necessary to update the requirements to work in Central Sterile as our roles and responsibilities have changed. As integral members of the perioperative team, we are responsible for ensuring that every surgical instrument—from the simple to the complex — adheres to AAMI and AORN standards and guidelines, manufacturer recommendations, and the sterilization parameters in order to promote patient and staff safety during the surgical procedure. In an effort to help elected officials understand what we do, we have begun a series of tours in CS departments across the state. During these tours, legislators “suit up” and are invited to view our world through a different set of eyes. We explain step-by-step what our responsibilities are and show them how it is done. The first legislator who attended one of these tours was Senator Susie Oppenheimer, the sponsor of the CS tech bill in the senate.

Most recently, Assemblyman Jonathan Bing took a tour at one of the largest facilities in New York City. Members of the NYC CS Chapter accompanied him on the tour and provided him with a detailed explanation of the requirements necessary in order to “get the job done.” The Assemblyman was amazed and could not understand why there are no requirements for this vital profession. Assemblyman Jonathan Bing was also one of the guest speakers at the NY City Chapter Annual Educational Meeting this past October. He spoke to attendees about the legislative process and the importance of getting involved. He also provided attendees with an update on the CS Tech Bill in NY and answered questions from the group. The appreciation and enthusiasm in the room was felt by all.

In a continuous effort to promote education and collaboration, Mary Olivera, one of our members, was invited to present at the local labor union SEIU 1199’s educational meeting for surgical technologists and CS technicians in New York City. The local labor union has begun the implementation of a CS Technicians’ committee with the purpose of discussing continuing education, practice and technician legislation. CS technician members of this local union are excited to finally have a committee of their own in which practice is set for the profession.

Anyone interested in participating in this committee should contact Raymond Valdez at St. Luke’s Hospital or Debora Hunte at the SEIU 1199 headquarters. This collaboration will be beneficial for the support of the technician’s bill in New York.

back to top

New York State Association of CS Professionals

The Board of Director’s fall meeting was held in Rochester New York at the Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside Nov. 6, 2010. Attendees included:

Executive Board members; Steve Maley, President, Wilhelmina Jones, President Elect, Wilma Lasher, Treasurer and Vincent Hopper, Secretary.

Chapter Reps: Larry Guittard, Frank Riggi, Joan McLean, Melody Traversi, Terris Porchia and Victoria Spencer.

Laura Beltran, Ex-Officio’s and Charles Hughes, Educational Advisor

The BOD activities for June to Oct. 2010 were submitted for the records. The NYSACSP cookbook is expected to be released for sale by Christmas 2010. The bylaws committee submitted new recommendations to reduce future expenses to the organization. The BOD voted on and approved the final theme for the NYSACSP Annual Conference and Vendor Exhibit to be held in June 2011 in Niagara Falls. Steve Maley, President, reported on the Regulatory Committee’s goals for state certification in 2011.

back to top

Northwest Ohio Central Service Associates

NOWCSA will be hosting its next educational conference on May 15, 2010. Speakers will be Susan Klacik, IAHCSMM’s AAMI rep, and David Narance. Both speakers have spoken at the annual IAHCSMM conferences and both are authors of articles that have been published in various magazines.

In the February 2010 Central Source, I found a couple of articles of particular interest. One was an article about case carts that needed repair. The nurse manager that found a solution to the problem was David Narance. This was an interesting read. The other article was about our own Susan Gardner!

Mark your calendars for the October 1-3, 2010, Ohio conference, which will be held in Newark, OH. The conference will offer a weekend of education and fun.

Virginia Association of Central Services

Mark Your Calendar

Mark Your Calendar! The Virginia Association of Central Services will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary with an educational program entitled “Still Standing.” Please join us in celebration April 1- 2, 2011, at the Sheraton Oceanfront, 3501 Atlantic Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. Speakers will include Charles A. Hughes, General Manager/Educator for SPSmedical and Hugh F. Gouldthorpe, Jr., Senior Vice President of Quality & Communications for Owens & Minor, and a round table discussion regarding loaner instrumentation tracking and processing. Registration fees are as follows:

Early Bird – All registrations received before February 2, 2011

$95 – Friday & Saturday
$45 – Friday only
$60 – Saturday only

Standard Registration – All registrations received between February 3, 2011 and March 15, 2011

$105 – Friday & Saturday
$55 – Friday only
$70 – Saturday only

On-Site Registration – All registrations received after March 16, 2011

$115 – Friday & Saturday
$65 – Friday only
$80 – Saturday only

We look forward to seeing you there! For more information, visit the VACS website at www.vacsweb.com.

back to top


IAHCSMM News Member Portal Member Portal StoreOnline Lesson Plans
Survey howEducational Fund