OhioHealth

With over two decades of experience in the healthcare sector, Nikki Ross has established herself as a dedicated and strategic leader in sterile processing. As the System Director of Sterile Processing at OhioHealth for the past 15 years, she possesses an extensive background in surgery, materials management, and healthcare administration. After six years of running a surgery center, she excels in team management, supply procurement, and overseeing the Sterile Processing Department (SPD). As an SPD leader at OhioHealth, she guides a team across 14 care sites, offering a comprehensive view of healthcare operations and showcasing her adeptness in navigating complex challenges.

What are the significant challenges and trends impacting the Pharma tech space?

An impactful challenge revolves around securing experienced and certified SPD technicians for staffing, a challenge heightened by COVID-19. The pandemic prompted many professionals to exit the healthcare sector, necessitating the recruitment of individuals lacking experience or certification. Moreover, the demanding and stressful nature of the sterile processing department contrasts with the inadequate pay and recognition for its vital role. Efforts are underway to elevate compensation and attract skilled staff, including slight pay grade adjustments.

Furthermore, due to the scarcity of skilled technicians, comprehensive training for our team has proven challenging. Even relatively new associates are thrust into training new team members within a brief timeframe.

As the System Director SPD at OhioHealth, what leadership strategies do you implement to address these challenges?

We prioritize cultivating strong relationships between the surgery department and the operating room, forming a foundation for a successful partnership with our primary customers. Additionally, innovative approaches help tackle staffing gaps. Some care sites can share staff, allowing coverage for part-time roles or deploying full-time employees to cover shifts at other sites during gaps.

However, this process involves multiple complexities, extensive candidate interviews, and frequently engaging candidates with limited experience. To mitigate this, we strongly encourage potential employees to shadow our operations before joining, bridging the gap between expectations and the reality of sterile processing.

Could you discuss a project you’ve been leading and the technological elements contributing to its success?

I’m spearheading several projects within the organization. Firstly, we migrated from an outdated instrument tracking system to SPM by Steris across all care sites. This transition has boosted productivity through SPM’s reporting capabilities, eliminating the need for manual dashboards for metrics.

"In order to embrace change, one has to be patient, maintain flexibility and understand that change is crucial in order to evolve"

Another ongoing initiative centers around the preference card project, focusing on surgery and sterile processing collaboration. The goal is to curtail unnecessary supply orders that impact both departments, streamlining efficiency.

We’ve also introduced the Orion software to reduce instruments in surgical trays. Through images, we identify and remove redundant instruments from sets. This project is active across seven care sites and guarantees a reduction in instrument clutter.

Would you like to offer advice to fellow leaders or aspiring professionals for improvement in the field?

The healthcare landscape is transforming due to robotics, leading to increased tray complexity in both sterile processing and surgery. To embrace change, patience, adaptability, and recognizing the significance of evolution are essential. Challenges will arise, but alongside them, there will be days of success and progress.