Advertise on podcast: ConCensis

Sterile processing departments run on technical skill. Tray builds, scanning practices, sterilization cycles and turnaround times are all measurable, teachable and certifiable. Leadership is none of those things. It does not appear on an org chart until someone is promoted into it, and by then the behaviors that make a good leader have either formed or they have not. Most sterile processing leaders come up through the bench, which means the profession develops its leaders informally, in the middle of a shift, without a curriculum. The cost of that shows up later. Technicians who move quickly and produce volume are frequently promoted for exactly those traits, then struggle with change management, interdepartmental friction and the expectations of an operating room that wants everything back sooner. Teams inherit the gap. Turnover follows, and so does the quiet assumption that leadership is something a person either has or does not. The question is not who has leadership potential. It is whether a department recognizes and develops it before a title is attached. How do sterile processing technicians recognize the leadership they are already practicing, and what does it take to grow it into a career? Welcome to ConCensis. In this episode, host Daniel Litwin, the Voice of B2B, sits down with Lucretia Henderson, Customer Success Manager at Censis Technologies, and Kristina Bowser, Senior Customer Success Manager at Censis Technologies, to examine how leadership forms inside sterile processing departments. Together, they trace their own paths from the surgical and sterile processing bench into leadership, and discuss what unofficial leadership looks like on the floor, how trust is earned before a title exists, what separates a competent leader from a great one and which certifications and experiences actually move a career forward. The conversation offers practical perspective for technicians considering the next step, for leaders identifying and developing successors and for anyone handed responsibility before they felt ready for it. What You'll Learn... Why leadership in sterile processing frequently begins as an unofficial role, formed by the technician who asks why, volunteers to precept new hires and carries concerns forward on behalf of peers.How formative experiences well outside the department, from military service to a rural upbringing and high school leadership programs, build the discipline and relationship skills that later define a leadership style.The role subject matter knowledge plays in earning trust, and why confidence in the work often carries a new leader through moments when confidence in themselves has not arrived yet.What separates good leaders from great ones, from observing a department quietly enough to see where help is needed to absorbing criticism on behalf of a team, and the missteps that stall a promising leadership track.Practical steps for technicians who want to advance, including joining committees, seeking a mentor, pursuing Lean Six Sigma or project management credentials and making the ambition known to leadership.Why the next generation of sterile processing leaders will need fluency in their own department's data as hospital margins tighten and teams are asked to produce more with less.About the Guests Lucretia Henderson is a Customer Success Manager at Censis Technologies, supporting facilities across the central United States. She entered surgical technology through military service and later moved into sterile processing, where she spent much of her career on the education side, building awareness of standards and best practices among frontline teams and working to close the gap between sterile processing and the operating room. She holds sterile processing certifications along with Lean Six Sigma credentials focused on process improvement in healthcare. Kristina Bowser is a Senior Customer Success Manager at Censis Technologies, working with hospitals across the central and southwestern United States to sharpen workflows and support their teams. She began her career as a surgical technologist, earned a bachelor's degree in healthcare administration and served as a surgical technology program director before stepping into sterile processing as an SPD manager and later a business operations manager. She led her own department through the transition from paper to electronic tracking.

This episode's guests: Melissa Higgins, Director of Customer Advancement at Censis TechnologiesJacob Long, Director of Sales Engineering at Censis TechnologiesOlivia Fistek, Regional Account Manager at Censis TechnologiesSterile processing has become one of the fastest changing environments in the hospital. Instruments that were once straightforward now arrive with multilayered assembly requirements, robotic components and manufacturer instructions for use that change without notice. The technology used to reprocess and sterilize them has grown just as complex. What a technician needed to know five years ago is not what the role demands today, and the list keeps growing. Every new service line, every new specialty and every new device adds to the body of knowledge a department is expected to carry. That pace creates a quiet gap. Departments are held to evolving standards and regulatory expectations while the day-to-day work of keeping cases moving never pauses, which leaves little room for structured learning. Compliance strains first, then confidence. There is also a second gap that receives less attention. Knowing the correct practice is one challenge. Capturing it digitally, configuring software to match a specific workflow and proving it later is a separate one. Education has to close both. How can a sterile processing team turn three days of education into changes that hold up back in the department? Welcome to ConCensis. In this episode, host Daniel Litwin, the Voice of B2B, sits down with Melissa Higgins, Director of Customer Advancement at Censis Technologies, Jacob Long, Director of Sales Engineering at Censis Technologies, and Olivia Fistek, Regional Account Manager at Censis Technologies, to preview CtUC Virtual 2026 and the thinking behind this year's theme, From Experience to Impact. Together, they discuss the three-day tiered track structure, the industry topics shaping this year's agenda, the live question-and-answer format, the peer collaboration that happens between attendees and the first major software refresh Censis has undertaken in years. The conversation offers sterile processing professionals a clear picture of what the September event covers, how to plan their three days and which conversations are worth showing up for. What You'll Learn... Why continuing education functions as an operational requirement rather than a professional perk, as instrument complexity and manufacturer instructions for use change faster than most departments can absorb on their own.How the three-day tiered structure splits into a general track, a leadership track and a technician track so attendees can build an agenda around their actual scope of work.The role water quality is playing in this year's agenda, and why industry experts leading the regulatory conversation were brought in to address it directly.What the first major software refresh in years brings to the platform, including an updated user interface and changes to how CensiTrac Intelligence handles metrics and KPI reporting.How attendees reach Censis expertise during the event, from live question-and-answer sessions and clinical educators fielding questions in real time to one-on-one time with a customer success manager.Why the peer conversation is often the highest-value part of the event, as a nine-tray ambulatory surgery center and a thousand-bed trauma hospital discover they are solving the same problems very differently.About the Guests Melissa Higgins is Director of Customer Advancement at Censis Technologies, where she leads the clinical education team. Her team delivers Service Plus, the add-on subscription that helps customers examine their workflow and get more out of the software they already own. She treats CtUC as the flagship presentation Censis gives its customers each year, pairing outside industry standards with internal guidance on system utilization. Jacob Long serves as Director of Sales Engineering at Censis Technologies, where he prepares and supports the commercial team and works across clinical education, implementation and product. His earlier work training customers in person gave him a view of departments at every scale, from single-procedure outpatient clinics to thousand-bed trauma centers running thirty rooms and eighty technicians. He watches closely for how customers configure the same software to fit very different worlds. Olivia Fistek is Regional Account Manager at Censis Technologies, working on the sales side with facilities bringing Censis in for the first time and with existing customers expanding their portfolio. She partners closely with the customer success team and focuses on keeping facilities supported as their hospital needs evolve. Her vantage point comes from being in customer doors regularly and hearing which challenges are surfacing right now.

Reporting is one of the most foundational functions in a sterile processing department, and for years it has also been one of the most manual. Answering a single question about productivity, throughput or case readiness has often meant running several reports, exporting the results into spreadsheets and merging the data by hand before any of it could be presented. The information existed. It simply was not assembled into a form teams could act on in the moment. That gap carries real operational cost. Time spent gathering and reconciling data is time not spent interpreting it, and every manual merge introduces the possibility of error or misrepresentation. Staffing requests, resource conversations and committee reporting all slow down when leaders must first defend where their numbers came from. For many SPD teams, the constraint was never the availability of data. It was the time and the confidence required to trust it. What changes for a sterile processing team when reporting becomes centralized, visual and available in real time? Welcome to ConCensis. In this episode, host Daniel Litwin, the Voice of B2B, sits down with Alma Mendivil, Director of the Sterile Processing Department at University Medical Center of El Paso, and Hana Rogers, Quality Assurance Manager of the Central Sterile Processing Department at Boston Medical Center, for the show's first cross-leader roundtable. Pairing a director's leadership lens with a day-to-day operational view from the floor, the conversation compares the old reporting workflow against their experience with CensiTrac Intelligence and traces the downstream effects on decision-making, manual workload, team morale and collaboration with partner departments. The discussion offers practical perspective for SPD leaders evaluating what they should expect from a reporting tool and how better reporting reshapes far more than reporting itself. What You'll Learn... Why answering basic operational questions once required multiple reports and manual spreadsheet work, and what that pattern cost teams in both time and accuracy.How the ability to see a report build in real time shifts effort away from preparing data and toward interpreting it.The new reporting use cases these leaders unlocked, including prep and pack dwell time, five-day case forecasting, daily huddle notes and employee performance metrics.Why a single trusted source of data changes the tone of conversations with hospital leadership, operating room partners and outside committees such as infection control.How real-time visibility into productivity supports more timely recognition, coaching and staffing adjustments across shifts.What questions SPD leaders should ask before adopting a reporting tool, and what long-term impact to expect as surgical volumes continue to grow.About the Guests Alma Mendivil is Director of the Sterile Processing Department at University Medical Center of El Paso, one of the busiest medical centers on the southern border. She oversees departmental operations in a high-volume environment and led her team's reporting transition alongside her department manager and floor educator, giving her a direct view of how reporting shapes staffing decisions, leadership reporting and cross-department collaboration. Hana Rogers is Quality Assurance Manager of the Central Sterile Processing Department at Boston Medical Center, a major academic medical center in the Northeast. Her work centers on the day-to-day operational realities of a high-inventory department, including throughput visibility, instrument movement and the practical workflow effects of how reporting is built and used on the floor.

Sterile processing departments rely on data to drive everything from tray tracking and workflow visibility to reporting, compliance and operational decision-making. But when that data becomes inconsistent, incomplete or disconnected from day-to-day workflows, even the most advanced technology can struggle to deliver meaningful insights. What often appears to be a software issue is frequently the result of workflow drift, inconsistent scanning practices, inaccurate tray builds or training gaps that have accumulated over time. For healthcare organizations focused on operational excellence, the challenge is not collecting more data. It is ensuring the data reflects reality. Without trustworthy information, reporting becomes unreliable, accountability becomes difficult and SPD teams can lose confidence in the systems designed to support them. How can sterile processing leaders identify the warning signs of poor data quality before they create reporting issues, workflow inefficiencies and operational blind spots? Welcome to ConCensis. In this episode, host Daniel Litwin, the Voice of B2B, sits down with Jill Sweeney, Senior Clinical Educator at Censis Technologies, and Jennifer Bingaman, Director of Business Services at Censis Technologies, to explore the root causes of common “data disasters” in sterile processing departments. Together, they discuss how workflow consistency, scanning compliance, tray accuracy, reporting practices and ongoing training all contribute to cleaner data and more effective SPD operations. The conversation provides practical guidance for organizations looking to improve system utilization, increase trust in reporting and create a stronger foundation for data-driven decision-making. What You'll Learn... • Why unreliable data is often a symptom of workflow inconsistency rather than a technology failure, and how organizations can identify the root causes before they impact operations. • How inconsistent scanning behaviors create downstream reporting challenges, reduce visibility and weaken confidence in system data. • The role tray builds, instrument records and data accuracy play in maintaining trust across SPD teams and leadership. • Why reporting frustrations frequently stem from process issues and workflow variation rather than incorrect reports. • How onboarding drift, training gaps and evolving departmental practices can slowly erode data quality over time. • Practical strategies for leaders and frontline teams to improve accountability, strengthen workflow compliance and build a culture of continuous data integrity. About the Guests Jill Sweeney serves as Senior Clinical Educator at Censis Technologies, where she works directly with healthcare facilities to improve workflow adoption, system utilization and sterile processing best practices. Drawing on more than a decade of experience in the SPD industry, she helps organizations align technology, training and operational processes to support stronger performance and more reliable outcomes. Jennifer Bingaman is Director of Business Services at Censis Technologies. She specializes in helping healthcare organizations understand, interpret and act on operational data. Her work focuses on identifying workflow gaps, improving reporting accuracy and helping SPD leaders transform data into actionable insights that support efficiency, accountability and continuous improvement.

Sterile processing departments are swimming in data, from workflow automation and supply data to patient outcome and quality metrics. But the real challenge is not collecting more information; it is knowing which metrics actually improve SPD performance, technician education, OR readiness and patient safety. For Censis, a leader in surgical asset management, the focus is on helping SPD teams turn that data into clearer instrument tracking, stronger workflow efficiency and better compliance. Censis estimates that an average OR minute costs about $60, making delayed cases a clear example of how operational data can quickly become a financial issue. When every scan, delay and quality event generates another data point, how can SPD teams tell which metrics are worth acting on before inefficiencies turn into OR delays, rework or patient safety risks? Welcome to ConCensis. In the latest episode, host Daniel Litwin, the Voice of B2B at MarketScale, welcomes Beth Perry, Business Intelligence & Analytics Engineer at Censis Technologies, for a presentation on how SPD teams can turn large volumes of operational data into practical decisions that improve productivity, quality, technician education and instrument availability. The discussion explores how CensisAI² helps teams identify the right metrics, understand what those metrics reveal and connect insights to measurable operational action. What you’ll learn… Data only matters when it drives action. Perry explains that meaningful metrics should provide clear insight and influence decisions, helping SPD teams move from passive reporting to practical improvement.Productivity metrics should be tied to operational drivers. The discussion highlights items processed, count sheet quantity, average seconds per instrument assembled and time spent on core SPD workflows as ways to understand and improve throughput.Quality data can guide smarter technician education. Perry shows how event count, error rate, case delay minutes, responsible party count and average repertoire size can help managers decide whether an issue calls for individual coaching, team-wide training or proactive skill development.Beth Perry brings more than a decade of experience in business intelligence, analytics, reporting and data systems, with a long tenure at Censis Technologies. In her current role as Engineer of Business Intelligence & Analytics, she focuses on translating business needs into effective data solutions that support clearer reporting and better decision-making. Her career also includes experience in systems engineering, enterprise data analysis, technical services, logistics, sales administration and technology adoption.

Healthcare teams today are feeling the pressure to move beyond last-minute compliance and instead build processes that work consistently every day. That shift is especially clear in sterile processing departments (SPDs), where the Joint Commission 360 model is redefining what “survey readiness” really means. With patient safety directly tied to instrument quality—and studies consistently linking process variability to surgical risk—the stakes for getting SPD workflows right have never been higher. So what does it actually look like for SPD teams to move from reactive compliance to a culture of continuous readiness—and can they do it without burning out their staff? That’s the question at the heart of this episode of ConCensis. Host Daniel Litwin sits down with Dr. Ivan Salgo, Chief Medical Officer at Censis and ASP, and Sabrina M. Ford, Market Manager of Central Sterilization at CommonSpirit. Together, they unpack how Joint Commission 360 standards are transforming SPD workflows, leadership expectations, and the role of technology in sustaining compliance—building on key themes introduced in the first part of the conversation. Top insights from the talk… From reactive to proactive compliance: Teams must embed standards into daily workflows—“stay ready so you don’t have to get ready”—eliminating last-minute audit stress.Data and visibility drive accountability: Instrument tracking systems, KPI dashboards, and real-time documentation are essential for identifying gaps and sustaining performance.Culture and leadership alignment are critical: True transformation requires engagement from frontline staff to the C-suite, shifting SPD into a strategic clinical partner role.Dr. Ivan Salgo is a physician-executive and Chief Medical Officer at Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP)/Fortive, with extensive leadership experience across medical devices, life sciences, and healthcare technology, spanning R&D, clinical affairs, regulatory strategy, and commercialization. He has led breakthrough innovations—from NIH-funded research to global market leadership—including key contributions to Philips Live 3DTEE and significant growth in cardiology ultrasound, and is recognized for shaping strategy and accelerating adoption of high-impact clinical technologies. Sabrina M. Ford is the Market Manager of Central Sterilization at CommonSpirit Health, where she leads SPD strategy and operations across multiple facilities. Known for her focus on Lean principles, staff competency development, and operational discipline, Ford has been instrumental in advancing continuous readiness models within large health systems. In her role, she also emphasizes team accountability, data visibility, and standardized workflows to support consistent survey readiness and performance improvement.

For a long time, compliance in healthcare was tied to the survey cycle. Now, that model is shifting. With the introduction of Joint Commission 360, organizations are being asked to demonstrate continuous performance—not just preparedness. As patient safety comes under increasing scrutiny, The Joint Commission is moving toward an approach built on real-time data, traceability, and consistency. The stakes are high: inconsistent sterile processing practices are still linked to surgical site infections, making SPD performance a critical piece of the patient safety puzzle. If compliance is no longer about preparing for a moment but proving performance over time, how should SPD teams approach their daily workflows differently? Welcome to ConCensis. In the latest episode, host Daniel Litwin sits down with Dr. Ivan Salgo, Chief Medical Officer at Censis and ASP, and Sabrina M. Ford, Market Manager of Central Sterilization at CommonSpirit, to unpack the real-world impact of Joint Commission 360 standards. Together, they explore how this updated accreditation model moves beyond checklist compliance and into a culture of continuous readiness, data-driven decision-making, and frontline accountability. What you’ll learn… How to transition from last-minute survey prep to a continuous, always-ready compliance mindset powered by real-time data.How AAMI standards and Lean principles work together to reduce variability and create consistent, high-performing SPD workflows.Why strong documentation, traceability, and reproducible processes are now essential for proving performance and ensuring patient safety.Dr. Ivan Salgo serves as the Chief Medical Officer and Vice President at Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP), with extensive leadership experience across the medical device and life sciences industries. He has led innovation, clinical strategy, and commercialization efforts at organizations like Philips and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, including driving market-leading cardiology technologies and securing major NIH-funded research initiatives. Sabrina M. Ford serves as the Market Manager of Central Sterilization at CommonSpirit, where she leads SPD teams through complex compliance environments, audits, and operational challenges. With extensive hands-on leadership experience, she brings practical insight into how standards translate into day-to-day workflows and team culture. She is known for her experience guiding teams through real-world survey readiness and operational demands.

Artificial intelligence used to live in strategy decks and conference keynotes—but now it’s showing up in a very different place: right on the assembly tables where SPD technicians build trays for the next case. And it’s arriving at a time when the pressure on sterile processing has never been higher. As surgical volumes climb and staffing shortages continue to strain hospital teams, SPDs are being asked to move faster while making zero mistakes. Even a single missing instrument can mean tray rework, case delays, and tension between departments. That’s why AI-powered computer vision is gaining attention: not as a futuristic replacement for technicians, but as a second set of eyes built directly into the workflow. Can AI meaningfully reduce tray errors and compliance risk in SPDs—without disrupting workflows or replacing the human expertise at the center of sterile processing? Welcome to ConCensis. Continuing from a previous episode in this two-part conversation, host Daniel Litwin rejoins Censis Chief Technology Officer Harshil Goradia and Senior Director of Product Development Seamus Johnson to explore the future of AI in sterile processing. The episode centers on Censis Technologies’ AI-powered sterile processing solution, Assembly Copilot: Final Check, a computer vision tool that detects missing chemical integrators before trays leave the assembly area. Together, the group discusses real-world results from early adopters, how the tool integrates seamlessly into existing workflows, and what the next three to five years of AI innovation in SPDs could look like. What you’ll learn… How Final Check drove missing integrator occurrences down to zero by flagging omissions in real time—stopping trays before they left assembly and required rework or delayed a case.Why embedded computer vision and real-time alerts strengthen compliance without adding tool fatigue, integrating directly into technician workflows instead of forcing teams to adopt separate systems or change standard work processes.What responsible AI adoption looks like in sterile processing, including human-in-the-loop oversight, transparent governance practices, and a phased approach that builds trust with technicians and hospital leadership.Harshil Goradia serves as the Chief Technology Officer and VP of IT at Censis Technologies, where he leads global engineering, AI, innovation, and digital transformation initiatives across commercial and government healthcare businesses. He has a proven track record of launching revenue-generating AI products, building AI-native data platforms, modernizing cloud and IT infrastructure, and driving measurable growth, efficiency gains, and cybersecurity excellence within large enterprise environments, including Fortive and Fortune 100 organizations. Previously, he led AI Centers of Excellence and large-scale cloud, ERP, and digital transformation programs across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, delivering multi-million-dollar impact and scaling high-performing global technology teams. Seamus Johnson is a Senior Software Developer at Censis Technologies with more than two decades of experience building and scaling healthcare technology solutions. He specializes in software architecture, cloud systems, database design, cybersecurity, and full-stack development using technologies such as C#, Angular, and TypeScript. With a background in physics from Tennessee Technological University and prior experience at Northrop Grumman, Johnson brings deep technical expertise and long-standing industry experience to the development of secure, high-performance applications for sterile processing and hospital environments.

Sterile processing departments are dealing with persistent operational pressures. Surgical case volumes are rising, instruments are more complex, and staffing shortages remain across many health systems. Accuracy and documentation requirements continue to tighten, leaving little room for error. In busy hospitals, sterile processing teams may handle 10,000 to 30,000 surgical instruments per day, with performance tightly linked to patient risk given the persistent burden of surgical site infections in inpatient care. These conditions are shaping how hospitals evaluate AI in sterile processing as a practical way to support frontline teams without adding disruption or risk. As health systems reassess where technology can provide real operational support, what does effective adoption look like inside day-to-day SPD workflows? In Part 1 of this two-part ConCensis podcast series by Censis Technologies, host Daniel Litwin sits down with Chief Technology Officer Harshil Goradia and Senior Director of Product Development Seamus Johnson for a grounded, practical discussion on how AI is being applied in sterile processing today. The conversation centers on where AI delivers measurable value in SPD workflows, why some use cases succeed while others fall short, and how technology can reinforce technician performance without disrupting established processes. Key points : AI is most valuable where traditional software breaks down: Rule-based tools struggle with visual, variable, real-world conditions such as lighting, positioning, and tray variability. AI in sterile processing, particularly computer vision, can interpret this complexity without hard-coding every possible scenario.Consistency is the core challenge across SPD workflows: Decontamination, assembly, and sterilization remain the highest-risk steps. Volume growth, case complexity, and staffing strain increase the likelihood of errors, making consistency a primary focus for AI in sterile processing initiatives.Final check use cases can have an outsized impact: In customer environments referenced in the episode, missing integrators dropped from dozens per month to zero after implementation. These results show how targeted AI in sterile processing applications can improve accuracy while strengthening documentation and accountability.Harshil Goradia is a technology executive specializing in AI, SaaS, and large-scale digital transformation across healthcare and enterprise software. As CTO and VP of IT at Censis Technologies, he leads global engineering and AI initiatives that drive product innovation, operational efficiency, and revenue growth. His career spans senior leadership roles at Fortive, Arrow Electronics, and Oracle, delivering high-impact technology platforms and scalable modernization programs. Seamus Johnson is a senior software developer with more than two decades of experience building technology solutions for the healthcare industry. At Censis Technologies, he leads application development across software architecture, cloud systems, databases, and security, with a focus on supporting hospital and sterile processing workflows. His background includes enterprise software development roles at Censis and Northrop Grumman, grounded in a technical foundation in physics and agile engineering practices.

Unannounced surveys are no longer the exception in healthcare—they’re the norm. Accrediting bodies increasingly expect sterile processing departments (SPDs) to demonstrate consistent compliance, real-time documentation, and reliable adherence to manufacturers’ instructions for use on any given day, not just during audit season. Joint Commission survey data continue to show that high-level disinfection and sterilization practices are among the most frequently cited higher-risk infection control areas, often due to breakdowns in implementation, documentation, or adherence to manufacturers’ instructions for use. As standards tighten and scrutiny increases, survey readiness has evolved from a periodic project into an everyday operational discipline. So, how can SPD teams move beyond the stressful, last-minute scramble and feel confident year-round? What does it actually mean to be “survey-ready” on a random Tuesday morning? Those questions are at the heart of the latest episode of ConCensis, hosted by Daniel Litwin, the Voice of B2B at MarketScale. In this episode, Litwin is joined by Lindsay Clarke, Associate Product Owner at Censis Technologies, to unpack why survey readiness must be built into daily habits—and how teams can realistically make that shift. Together, the conversation explores how mindset, culture, and practical tools intersect to transform survey readiness from a reactive event into a steady, confidence-building practice. Drawing from Clarke’s years of frontline SPD leadership and her current work in healthcare technology, the episode offers grounded, actionable insights for teams at every stage of their readiness journey. What you’ll learn… Why daily survey readiness is fundamentally about patient safety, not just compliance checklists.How strong department culture turns compliance from a burden into shared ownership.The role of integrated technology and documentation in eliminating last-minute survey stress.Lindsay Clarke is a clinical educator at Censis Technologies who trains and mentors healthcare teams using evidence-based education to strengthen performance and improve patient outcomes. She brings deep sterile processing leadership experience, having managed SPD operations at Bon Secours Mercy Health and HCA Florida Healthcare with responsibility for sterilization, compliance, and quality. Her strengths include curriculum and training development, cross-team collaboration, and translating real-world clinical workflows into practical improvements.

Sterile Processing Departments (SPDs) remain the backbone of safe surgical care, yet across the country, they’re still routinely left out of early decision-making around products, construction, staffing, and case planning. As hospitals juggle tighter margins, higher patient acuity, and growing procedural demands, the consequences of excluding SPD voices become unmistakably real—showing up in daily workloads, rising stress, and risks to patient care. Misalignment between SPD and the OR has already led to inefficiencies, delays, and even high-dollar liability cases in recent years. How can healthcare organizations ensure SPD teams finally get the visibility, influence, and collaboration they need to support safer, more efficient surgical operations? That question sits at the center of this episode of ConCensis. Host Daniel Litwin, the Voice of B2B at MarketScale, speaks with healthcare writer and journalist Kara L. Nadeau to explore her recent reporting on why hospital leaders must give SPDs a meaningful seat at the table. Their discussion explores the root causes of SPD invisibility, the organizational risks of ignoring their expertise, and the practical steps hospitals can begin taking today to close communication gaps across departments. Top insights from the talk… Where SPDs are excluded—and why it matters: From supply chain purchasing to construction planning to surgical case scheduling, Nadeau details the systemic blind spots that keep SPDs out of essential conversations, often until it’s too late.The role of data in SPD advocacy: SPD professionals widely report lacking the analytics needed to justify staffing, equipment upgrades, workflow changes, or operational needs to leadership—a gap that directly impacts patient safety and efficiency.How hospitals can build cross-department champions: Nadeau highlights examples of organizations where perioperative leaders, infection prevention teams, and executives proactively champion SPD involvement—and how simple actions, like executive walkthroughs, can transform understanding overnight.Kara L. Nadeau is a veteran healthcare writer and journalist with more than 20 years of experience translating complex clinical, operational, and financial topics into clear, impactful content for the healthcare industry. She serves as a senior contributing editor for Healthcare Purchasing News and Medical Laboratory Observer, specializing in sterile processing, supply chain, perioperative services, and clinical laboratory trends. As founder of KLN Communications, she partners with healthcare organizations—from medical device companies to health systems—to produce research-driven thought leadership, case studies, and executive-level storytelling.

In healthcare, patient safety and operational efficiency often depend on invisible systems working perfectly in the background. One of those systems—water quality—has quietly become a defining factor in sterile processing success. With new standards such as AAMI ST108 setting stricter expectations, hospitals and SPDs (Sterile Processing Departments) are rethinking how they monitor, manage, and measure their water. Considering that a single SPD will likely use thousands of gallons of water daily, the stakes for getting water quality right have never been higher. What does “good water quality” actually mean for sterile processing, and how can hospitals transform it from a compliance checkbox into a driver of patient safety and efficiency? Welcome to ConCensis. In the latest episode, host Daniel Litwin, the Voice of B2B at MarketScale, sits down with Jeffrey Paquet, CEO of VERDA Water Quality Systems, to unpack the unseen yet critical role of water in healthcare operations. Together, they explore how water quality impacts everything from instrument integrity to infection prevention, and how technology and cross-disciplinary teamwork are reshaping the way SPDs think about their most used resource. What you’ll learn… Water as a performance multiplier: From detergents and enzymes to sterilizers, proper water quality determines how effective every step of the SPD process can be. Poor water equals damaged instruments, higher costs, and potential infection risk.Three essential water types: Paquet breaks down utility, critical, and steam water—each with unique standards, uses, and monitoring requirements that SPDs must understand and routinely test for.Data-driven management: Technologies like VERDA’s real-time monitoring systems and Censis’ CensiTrac enable departments to correlate water data with instrument outcomes, helping pinpoint and solve quality issues before they escalate.Jeffrey Paquet is an accomplished healthcare and engineering executive with over two decades of experience leading innovation in medical infrastructure and water quality management. As CEO of VERDA Water Quality Systems and Mobile Medical International Corporation (mmic™), he specializes in ensuring hospitals maintain operational continuity through high-quality temporary surgical and sterile processing facilities. His career highlights include advancing sustainable water quality solutions for healthcare environments and guiding cross-industry engineering design and product development through his firm, Dimension Business Group.

Sterile Processing Departments (SPDs) are the unsung backbone of surgical care — ensuring every instrument, tray, and tool is safe, sterile, and ready when needed. Yet, despite their vital role, SPD workflows often rely on manual processes and underrecognized best practices. As healthcare systems push for greater efficiency and staff well-being, SPD managers are turning to smarter tools to bridge that gap. Recent research underscores that inefficiencies in sterile processing can ripple through the entire surgical ecosystem, reinforcing why technology-driven improvements in inspection, tracking, and assembly are essential to reducing workflow disruptions and delays. Could technology be the key to unlocking new levels of accuracy and efficiency in sterile processing? And how are innovative SPD leaders using platforms like CensiTrac to save time, strengthen compliance, and boost team morale? That’s the focus of this episode of ConCensis, hosted by Daniel Litwin, the Voice of B2B at MarketScale. Joining him is Amy Webb, Manager of Sterile Processing at Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, who shares her real-world strategies for improving department efficiency — from smart organization systems to leadership approaches that keep teams engaged. Together, they explore how digital tracking tools, data-driven insights, and a people-first mindset are transforming the SPD landscape. Key takeaways from the conversation… Organizational Overhaul: Webb explains how assigning each tray its own labeled container streamlined workflows, improved inventory visibility, and reduced search time for critical instruments.Human-Centered Management: Her leadership style prioritizes open communication, trust, and staff empowerment — creating buy-in that makes process innovation stick.Tech-Driven Efficiencies: By leveraging CensiTrac, Webb and her team can now automate documentation, monitor productivity in real time, and integrate performance data with hospital systems — cutting manual record-keeping and aligning SPD output with OR needs.Amy Webb is the Manager of Sterile Processing at Dignity Health, bringing over a decade of hands-on experience in sterile processing and surgical support. Beginning her career as a Certified Nursing Assistant, she advanced through roles at Banner Health and Atlas Healthcare Partners before leading operations at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. Certified in Sterile Processing and currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, Webb is known for her leadership in optimizing workflows and elevating SPD team performance.

Sterile processing teams are under constant pressure—handling growing surgical demands, working short-staffed, and navigating strict regulations—so getting every instrument tray assembled right the first time has never mattered more. Even a single assembly error can cascade into costly OR delays or, worse, compromise patient safety. Recent research highlights that most surgical instrument errors stem from failures in inspection and identification, and these mistakes frequently lead to operating room delays and wasted resources. In this climate, artificial intelligence tools are stepping in to help SPDs raise their quality benchmarks. How can AI-powered verification like Censis’ Final Check feature transform the daily realities of sterile processing teams? And beyond efficiency, what impact does this technology have on compliance, staff morale, and hospital culture at large? This episode of ConCensis, hosted by Daniel Litwin, the Voice of B2B at MarketScale, dives deep into these questions with guest Greg Warino, the Market Director of Central Sterile Processing at Mercy Health. Together, they explore how Final Check is reshaping workflows, reducing errors, and reinforcing trust across OR teams. The key topics of discussion are… Error reduction at scale: Since implementing Final Check, Mercy Health’s SPDs dropped tray indicator errors from 15–20 per month to virtually zero across three hospitals and a surgery center. Compliance and confidence: Final Check provides photographic proof of tray accuracy, easing survey readiness and empowering technicians with verifiable documentation. Culture shift and retention: By embracing cutting-edge AI, SPD teams report higher confidence, lower turnover, and renewed trust from perioperative staff. Greg Warino, CRCST, CHL, is an experienced sterile processing leader with over a decade in perioperative support operations. He currently serves as the Market Director of Central Sterile Processing at Mercy Health, where he has led teams for nearly seven years, overseeing quality, compliance, and efficiency across multiple hospitals. Previously, he managed sterile processing at Steward Health Care for five years, strengthening his expertise in team leadership, process improvement, and patient safety.

The sterile processing industry stands at a pivotal moment. With surgical case volumes rising while departmental resources remaining flat, the pressure to “do more with less” has never been greater. Nowadays, sterile processing departments (SPDs) are struggling with high staff turnover and growing compliance requirements. And while these regulations are designed to improve patient safety, the added workload—combined with frequent staff shortages—can overwhelm teams, slow efficiency, and increase the likelihood of errors that put patients at risk. Against this backdrop, the upcoming Censis Technologies User Conference (CtUC) 2025, themed “Elevating the Standard,” arrives as both a reflection of industry challenges and a rallying call for solutions. So, what does “elevating the standard” look like in practice—and how can SPD leaders, technicians, and hospital partners rise to meet it? Welcome to ConCensis. In this episode, host Daniel Litwin, the Voice of B2B at MarketScale, sits down with three key leaders from Censis Technologies—Amanda Birkhead, Vice President of Product & Marketing; Sheena Moore, President; and Desiré Smith, Implementation Manager—to preview CtUC 2025 and unpack how the conference will help reimagine workflows, empower teams, and strengthen the SPD community at large. The main points of conversation… Training, empowerment, and connection: CtUC 2025 (being held virtually from September 8-10) is designed to equip SPD professionals with insights from industry experts, peers, and Censis leaders—fostering both education and community. Technology for “more with less”: From advanced reporting analytics to new AI-powered co-pilot tools, Censis is unveiling innovations that simplify workflows, reduce risk, and support technicians at every skill level. Community-driven impact: Beyond education, the conference emphasizes peer-to-peer collaboration, one-on-one engagement with Censis experts, and a ripple effect of shared best practices that can elevate the industry as a whole. Amanda Birkhead is a senior marketing and product management executive with over 20 years of B2B experience spanning software, services, and industrial solutions. She has held leadership roles at Fortive, Honeywell, and Censis Technologies, where she has driven digital transformation, delivered innovative product roadmaps, and built high-performance teams. Known for translating customer insights into profitable growth strategies, she specializes in global market expansion, strategic organizational transformation, and cross-functional collaboration to achieve measurable business impact. Sheena Moore is the President of Censis Technologies, bringing over 20 years of leadership experience across the healthcare, industrial, and manufacturing sectors. She has held senior roles at Fortive, Landauer, IDEX, and The Timken Company, where she led business transformations, operational optimization, and growth strategies. With a strong background in general management, sales, and customer-focused innovation, she is recognized for driving organizational performance and building high-impact teams in complex, global markets. Desiré Smith serves as Implementation Manager, overseeing on-site training for Go Lives and helping clients tailor workflows for maximum efficiency. With years of experience in SPD operations and client success, she bridges technical expertise with hands-on support. She is known for working side-by-side with customers to troubleshoot challenges and ensure the smooth adoption of Censis solutions.