Patient Safety Awareness Week: Focus on Sterile Processing

March 9–15, 2025, marks Patient Safety Awareness Week, a time to reflect on the importance of safety in health care and recognize the work being done to prevent harm to patients and the workforce.

At Surgical Solutions, patient safety is at the core of everything we do. While hospitals focus on improving diagnostics, leveraging AI, and reducing medical errors, there’s one critical area which often gets overlooked: Sterile Processing (SPD).

With a highly efficient SPD, hospitals can reduce surgical site infections (SSIs), prevent procedure delays, and eliminate unnecessary costs, directly enhancing patient safety and financial stability. How do we get there? We focus on the first steps in patient safety.

The Overlooked Link Between Sterile Processing & Patient Safety

1. SSIs: A Preventable Risk

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), medical harm is a leading cause of death worldwide, and preventable infections are a major contributor. Each SSI can cost a hospital up to $30,000 and lead to extended hospital stays or serious complications. Proper instrument sterilization is one of the most effective ways to prevent infections and ensure patient safety.

2. Surgical Delays: A Costly and Dangerous Outcome

Every delay in the OR caused by missing or improperly sterilized instruments impacts both patient care and hospital revenue. A single lost procedure per day can result in over $2 million in lost revenue annually.

3. Staff Retention & Patient Outcomes

Nurses and surgeons depend on properly sterilized, complete instrument trays to provide safe, high-quality care. When sterile processing departments experience inefficiencies—ranging from minor errors to major failures—it can lead to frustration, burnout, and staff turnover. These challenges disrupt workflows and compromise patient safety and overall care quality.

The Power of Innovation in SPD

At Surgical Solutions, we are proud to be at the forefront of innovation in sterile processing. Our team is constantly exploring new ways to enhance SPD operations. This week, Fred Westermeyer, our Sterile Processing Implementation and Project Supervisor, was featured in AORN's Outpatient Surgery Magazine for his innovative work on leveraging technology, QR codes, and AI to improve SPD training and efficiency.

We’re proud of Fred’s contributions to advancing the field and his commitment to continuous improvement in sterile processing.

Read the full article here: Education & Training: Next-Level Visual Aids

Innovation in SPD: The Key to Better Outcomes

As hospitals strive to enhance patient safety, reduce infections, and improve operational efficiency, sterile processing plays a critical yet often underappreciated role in achieving these goals. Modernizing SPD with advanced technologies, process improvements, and expert training protects patients, supports surgical teams, and strengthens hospital performance.

With hospitals facing tighter margins and increasing safety expectations, embracing innovation in sterile processing is more critical than ever.

Advancing Patient Safety Through Sterile Processing

At Surgical Solutions, we partner with hospitals to optimize sterile processing, ensuring:

✅ Fewer SSIs through enhanced sterilization protocols
✅ On-time surgeries, minimizing preventable delays
✅ A safer work environment, leading to stronger staff retention
✅ Significant cost savings, helping hospitals reinvest in quality patient care

One hospital we partnered with recovered over half a million dollars in lost revenue by optimizing its SPD — demonstrating how a focus on sterile processing leads to better financial and patient safety outcomes.

Join Us at AORN 2025 – Let’s Prioritize Patient Safety Together

We’re excited to continue the conversation at AORN 2025 in Boston, where "Together We Rise to improve hospital efficiency, safety, and financial stability.

Let’s Connect! Interested in learning how we can help your hospital improve sterile processing and patient safety? Schedule a meeting with us at AORN 2025!

Learn more about Patient Safety Awareness Week from IHI: Patient Safety Awareness Week