Sterilization Station: A Sterile Processing Empowerment Podcast
Welcome to "Sterile Processing Empowerment Podcast, the podcast dedicated to elevating the field of sterile processing and surgical services! In an industry where precision and care intersect, we believe that knowledge is power. Our mission is to empower, encourage, and motivate every professional engaged in the transformative world of healthcare.
Join us each week as we delve into enlightening discussions that shine a light on best practices, emerging innovations, and the critical role sterile processing plays in patient safety. Whether you're a seasoned expert or just starting your journey, our panels and expert guests will provide invaluable insights through engaging conversations and real-world stories.
From the nuances of instrument handling to the latest in sterilization techniques, we cover it all. Expect thought-provoking interviews, educational segments, and motivating content designed to inspire you to elevate your craft. Together, let’s foster a community that champions excellence in surgical services and celebrates the unsung heroes of healthcare.
Tune in to where expertise meets passion, and every episode empowers you to make a difference in the operating room and beyond.
Sterilization Station: A Sterile Processing Empowerment Podcast
Disrupting Sterile Processing: How Shantel Berwald Transforms SPD Culture
Shantel Berwald, a trailblazer in sterile processing leadership, shares her journey from surgical tech to SPD director and reveals how she's transforming department culture. Through personal experiences and practical insights, she demonstrates how effective leadership in sterile processing balances technical expertise with people-focused management and strategic vision.
• Journey from surgical tech to SPD director through hands-on learning and curiosity
• Describes leadership style as "disruptive in the best way possible" - focusing on efficiency and patient safety
• Emphasizes the technical complexity and scientific foundation of sterile processing that often goes unrecognized
• Predicts culture shift as the next major evolution in SPD, particularly in OR-SPD relationships
• Advocates for quality over quantity and slowing down to ensure attention to detail
• Shares experiences designing the new Critical Care Tower with one-way flow and future-focused capacity
• Maintained team motivation during renovations through transparency and hands-on leadership
• Builds vendor partnerships based on clear expectations, mutual respect, and patient-centered collaboration
• Involves frontline technicians in equipment decisions through trials and collaborative problem-solving
• Advises new leaders to establish boundaries while finding common ground focused on patient outcomes
Connect with Shantel on LinkedIn or in SPD Facebook groups to continue the conversation about leadership in sterile processing.
Welcome to the Sterilization Station, the podcast where we go beyond the instruments and into the heart of sterile processing. I'm your host, bill Rochelle, and today we're kicking off episode one of a three-part miniseries with a powerful voice in sterile processing leadership, someone who leads with purpose, passion and a deep commitment to people. Our guest today is Chantel Burwald, a trailblazer in sterile processing who has not only elevated the department she's led, but also inspired a new generation of SPD professionals to lead from the inside out. So this episode is all about leadership, how it's formed, how it's led and how it shapes the future of the field that we all care so deeply about. So, whether you're tuning in on your break maybe you're commuting to work or prepping some trays in the background settle in. You're going to want to hear this, and so I'm really excited today to have Chantel with us and just glad you're here. Chantel, how's it going today?
Speaker 2:Very good, thank you. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:I'm really excited to have you on the podcast and just someone that's been very supportive. As I always say on the podcast, it's all about inspiring, motivating and empowering those in sterile processing and just really looking forward to this mini-series together as we dive into your journey and some of the areas of sterile processing that you're most passionate about. So really looking forward to it. So what drew you to the field of sterile processing?
Speaker 2:I started out as a surgical tech many, many years ago. I was working evening shift at the time and as cases kind of started to come down in the evening, I kind of started to make my way downstairs into sterile processing to help them assemble trays and prep for the next day pick cases. And that team was a great team. They were very welcoming, they took me under their wing and I told them you know, I want to learn all the ins and outs, I want to understand your side of it, to be able to help the operating room. So eventually I became a supervisor of sterile processing and kind of from there went up in leadership, from educator to instrument coordinator to manager and now director. Wow.
Speaker 1:It's amazing how many people I've met that were at one time like in surgical technology and then they observed sterile processing and that's just so powerful. I love meeting people like that and you know, every journey has a moment, maybe a turning point that defines how we show up for others. Can you share a defining moment that shaped your leadership style?
Speaker 2:A really good defining moment, I think, was kind of going downstairs and having them show the knowledge that they have. The field is so technical and it's so science-based that learning all of that really spearheaded. How can I teach the operating room about all these kind of ins and outs that no one really knows about? How do I show them that things need to be cool properly? How do I show them that biologicals matter? So that kind of shaped the pathway to be a leader on both the sterile processing side and the operating room side.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's awesome I love that.
Speaker 2:Now I want to challenge you to distill your leadership style into just one word. What would it be? Let's get down to the root. Let's be efficient. Let's get down to kind of making the processes work for us instead of adapting to other people. So I would say, probably disruptive, but in the best way possible.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's actually pretty cool. Now, leadership also can come with surprises. You know, often the most unexpected lessons are the ones that change us the most. So what's been the most unexpected lesson you've learned? Leading in sterile processing.
Speaker 2:The most unexpected lesson, I think, going from surgical tech to sterile processing was really how technical and how complex the industry is. I don't think the general public and I don't think healthcare in general really understand the science, the detail, the integrity that you need to work in cell processing. I think it goes, you know, very unrecognized. I was definitely surprised, coming into it, just how much becomes more of a well-known kind of thing as how technical and intense it is, because you know, at the end of the day, every patient that comes in our operating room is touched by all of our departments.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I think that's very, very good. What excites you the most about the future of sterile processing?
Speaker 2:I think all the growth that's happening and all the noise that's happening, I think we're kind of shifting gears with all the staffing. We're kind of having to be a little more innovative. So I'm really excited to kind of see where our training policies go, where our certification programs go, how technology kind of integrates in with tracking systems and all the AI driven stuff. Yeah, really excited to kind of see what happens next All these new beautiful hospitals being built and new departments that I think leaders are really thinking about before they're building these departments. And I think it's going to be really exciting kind of over the next few years. What kind of comes at this time?
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, there's definitely a wave of innovation coming. I had a chance to sit down with the founder of LayerJot, which has some pretty cool innovative technologies AI technologies. I think that's really really cool. It brings me to this next question is what do you think the next major shift in SBD will be? Technology policy or culture or anything else that you think?
Speaker 2:I definitely think it's going to be probably culture. I think we're going to see a change kind of in our relationships with surgeons and the operating room. I think there's been a lot more recent recognition. So I think culture is kind of the biggest one that I think is going to change. I think technology will always be evolving, but I think we're taking a new kind of perspective on culture.
Speaker 1:So, if you don't mind, I'm just going a little deeper into that. So what do you like when you think about culture, like what first comes to mind, or like how would you define culture in SPD?
Speaker 2:I think, developing a system of quality over quantity, taking our time, putting the patient first. I think that culture is evolving, really slowing down. Instruments are only getting more complex, so I think we do have to shift into this kind of really attention to detail mindset, and in order to do that we have to have good culture, good leaders that promote that, operating rooms, that kind of foster that as well, that support SPD. I think that whole dynamic of OR-SPD relationships is probably the one that either needs to be looked at the most or it needs to be kind of pushed in another direction.
Speaker 1:I'm very passionate about culture. It's one of my favorite topics in SPD. Do you feel like there was a moment where, like almost like say, an epiphany happened with culture, where maybe it was an experience you had, where you realized, like, how important it was in SPD?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've had a lot of experiences with, I think, the operating room staff and the surgeons have a very difficult job. You know I understand that aspect and I think, standing in front of my staff and kind of, you know, these are my expectations, these are your expectations. How do we come in the middle for the patient? I understand we need to get this case done, but at the same time I need your instruments to be delivered to you safely so that that culture, I think that's what we need to foster the most. Yeah, I'm glad that we're kind of bringing a lot of light to this new industry.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that's really good. I met an individual who has a leadership community called you Are a CEO, and he defines culture as what we do consistently, what we allow and what we celebrate. And I remember just taking those three words and going to sterile processing and just trying to look through those eyes of those three words and I started to really notice, yeah, that's culture, oh, that's happening, that's culture, like everything around you was really culture. And, as leaders, it's incumbent upon us to be the channel changers of culture, right, knowing like what to how to shift it in. So I think what you're saying was was very, very good, as it pertained to just going a little bit more into culture. So I appreciate you for, uh, for doing that. Now there might be some people out here who are, you know, they're just stepping into leadership, or maybe they're considering taking their first role, to lead a team for the first time. What's one piece of advice you'd offer to someone stepping into sterile processing leadership today?
Speaker 2:I think if I would tell anyone, I would think that it's okay to stand up for yourself, it's okay to push the boundary a little bit. I think it's scary to be a new leader and I think the operating room has very intense personalities and I think really setting the expectation on both sides will help anyone be a great leader. You know there's a nice way to say everything and there's a common ground and at the end of the day, the patient is our end goal and so any new leader. I think you know setting those boundaries and making it okay to stop the line and stand up for patients and your staff and the people behind you.
Speaker 1:Let's bust a myth. What's one myth or misunderstanding about sterile processing? You wish more people understood.
Speaker 2:The myth or something. Something I wish they'd understand is kind of like what we talked about earlier, just the pure, I think, science and the technical knowledge that everyone has to have. I think if you add together all the instruments that someone sees in a day and then add that in a month and then a year and vendor sets, and they're only getting complex, I really wish that more people could see inside the department, kind of see kind of what's going on and get an understanding of the workflow and I hope that changes in the next you know how many years. I hope this becomes, you know, kind of a well-known, well-respected kind of industry that supports our patients.
Speaker 1:From construction to culture, transforming the SPD at the critical care tower. So I really want to explore how this department redesign sparked a deeper cultural shift and how physical space impacts workflow and morale, and what truly transformation looks like when teams work together towards a shared vision. So just curious if you could tell us a little bit about the transformation project at the Critical Care Tower and what sparked the need for it.
Speaker 2:The Critical Care Tower is a new hospital that we're building in New Mexico Kind of. The two primary needs for it were capacity I'm kind of in the city I think we're the only trauma center level one trauma center kind of within the vicinity of New Mexico so capacity and we just needed more resources. Our surgical volumes kind of grew, we needed more beds, so that kind of sparked the need for this beautiful new critical care tower. Wow.
Speaker 1:That's really cool. I love when you get to be a part of a transformational project in SPD. It's nervous, it's exciting, it's like overwhelming, but once you get to the end of it it's such a great accomplishment. What were the biggest operational or cultural challenges during the renovation process?
Speaker 2:During department renovations, whether they're large or small, I think are impactful in very ways. The critical care tower isn't open yet, so I don't really feel much impact for that. But in 2022, we moved into a Saris mobile unit, our main hospital, our big trauma center. We moved in there for about four months while we were replacing some equipment and doing some plumbing work and it was a challenge. I think it's a very, very small space, very critical space that you need. I think we went from our full capacity to 30% of the equipment. I don't know if you've ever been in a Cirrus mobile unit, but tiny it's. The volume that you can put through those things is amazing and we did it.
Speaker 2:Change fatigue is real during all this, especially during renovation. So I think the best way to address that is just being transparent with kind of what's happening, what the project status is. You know we were delayed a couple of weeks and it's a bummer for the staff to hear that we're delayed. But I think being transparent with what's happening behind the scenes and, as a leader, being very hands on to help the staff during that time, you know was fully involved in transporting case carts, cleaning containers, going to decon, making sure the OR had everything. So I think being hands-on and being transparent is the only way to really survive any sort of renovation or any sort of construction.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's amazing. How did you ensure your team stayed engaged and motivated through such a major change.
Speaker 2:I think just being present was a huge motivator. I think understanding the end goal is this beautiful new department, these beautiful new sterilizers that you know work and the doors lock and you know it was time for them to be replaced. So kind of seeing the end results and you know I love walking into departments at the end of renovation and seeing everyone's face when it's shiny and it's beautiful and it looks so different. But definitely being present and engaged as a leader is how you keep your team engaged.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's really great. So, from layout to logistics, what design decisions have the biggest impact on efficiency?
Speaker 2:The best thing with the critical care tower has been, I think, designing a one-way flow Instead of making a space work for you know we're moving into someone else's space and kind of redesigning it, starting fresh. This is one way let's improve our throughput, let's ensure there's enough equipment to account for growth, repairs, any downtime. Making those decisions kind of at the very beginning are huge, and it's been a wonderful experience to work with a lot of the construction teams of One-Way Flows, you know, kind of putting our workflow first instead of kind of adapting to other people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's really good. That's excellent. How did you build stronger collaboration with the OR and surgical teams during this time?
Speaker 2:Creating this kind of dual-sided accountability process. Currently I have a really great, amazing relationship with the operating room leadership. We've kind of just come to this understanding that I'm accountable for my staff and my department and the decisions that I make and the expectation is the same for them. You know, building trust with them isn't something that happens instantly. It takes, you know, months and months. But our common goal was is the patient. So I think kind of holding yourself accountable as a department and kind of setting the boundary with the operating room, that I kind of want the same.
Speaker 1:Now I asked Chantel a lot of questions when we were first getting to know each other, and so these were a lot of different topics that she was very passionate about and wanted to discuss. So, just in case you're wondering, like what's going on here, this is kind of why this happened, and I think this mini series is going to be really good because there's a lot of dynamics to it. But when you think about vendor relationships, they can be tricky. So what makes a vendor a true partner in your eyes?
Speaker 2:A true partner in a vendor is someone that is proactive, that responds quickly, that kind of aligns to our workflows instead of having us adapt to theirs. I think vendors are incredibly critical for OR and SPD and again, I think setting those boundaries of you know, this is my department. I want to help you, help the OR and help the patient. How do we meet in the middle and how do we develop this great partnership to make sure that you have everything you need safely? We know how to disassemble it. Your training is kind of readily available. Can you help us? You know show newer staff how to you know see around your set and take it apart and disassemble it. I think those qualities are true partners and the vendors that I think we see a lot of and hopefully everyone else has great vendors that they rely on um, that's no, it's really really good.
Speaker 1:It made me think about does your facility or health system does it offer? Do you have a specific position that is responsible for the vendor relationships?
Speaker 2:we do not. Our vendors kind of work with everyone you know um, they know the staff, they know the leadership. It's kind of this big huge group. They don't really really have a point person, which I think is a benefit and kind of a con, but it gets all of us to kind of know each other kind of on a deeper level. That's really really good.
Speaker 1:How do you bring frontline techs into conversations about equipment, supplies or technology?
Speaker 2:Trials, lots of trials, lots of group shopping that we do If a certain supply or equipment is not meeting our needs. Let's find something that will. You ask around, I'll ask around. Let's come together and see what our options are. Let's reach out and kind of get trials. Let's go to other facilities and see what they have and kind of play around and see what their pain points are. Really, the techs kind of lead what we need in their department. At the end of the day, they're the ones you know kind of at the forefront and I think their opinion matters. Yeah, that's really good.
Speaker 1:Can you share an example where collaboration with the vendor led to meaningful change?
Speaker 2:I can. I have a very embarrassing story for a poor vendor who may listen to this, and I apologize if he is, but I had a vendor come down to SPD I was a supervisor many years ago gave me this tray, told me it just came off the airplane needed to be washed and assembled and sterilized quick as possible, as safely as possible. And then I happened to go upstairs and give lunch breaks as a scrub tech and that vendor came into the room and my back was turned and was very quick to tell the surgeon that sterile processing did not have the tray ready. So I very nicely turned around and said nope, you just brought it to me 35 minutes ago and it will be ready in three hours. His face turned bright red. The surgeon, I think, had an eye opening experience. The vendor had a very eye-opening experience Understanding that. If we just be honest, I think we'll have a better day. But our relationship with that vendor and that company definitely improved from there.
Speaker 1:How do you hold vendors accountable while maintaining a collaborative relationship?
Speaker 2:The best thing I've always done to hold everyone accountable is to kind of set clear expectations upfront. There's kind of this understanding that you know they're a guest in my department as a vendor but they need to be welcomed. So the staff is always friendly, always willing to help. You know we need to maintain a mutual respect. I respect, you know, the need for this that quickly for the patient, but they need to respect the process to get it there safely. So that's kind of the accountability it falls on both sides. It usually is a tough conversation to have with vendors just because they are going to the OR and I understand the conversations they have to have with surgeons and OR staff. But at the same time you know I'm happy to support what's right for the patient and to support my staff to make sure it's safe for use.
Speaker 1:This is good. There's so much that you said in this episode to kick this series off. There's so many areas you covered. You know we talked about your path into sterile processing, touched on from construction to culture. You know transforming, transforming the SPD at the critical care tower, and then we started to talk about the vendor relationships and everything. So this has been really good for the first episode. I really appreciate you, chantel, for coming in. Thank you for being present here to add your experience and how you've helped to shape the team, your team in SPD, how to go through projects, and I'm just really excited about this and really looking forward to continuing the conversation. Your story it's a reminder that leadership in SPD isn't just about standards. It's about people, purposes and progress. To our listeners, if this episode inspired you, share it with a colleague, a mentor, someone you know who's ready to lead from the inside out, and Chantel say someone's listening in and they're just like how can I reach Chantel? If someone wants to reach you, how can you be reached?
Speaker 2:Usually on LinkedIn, which is where I'm at. Bill is always a great, great resource. Otherwise, I'm in all the SPD Facebook groups kind of dabbling around, so I usually hide in the background, but I'm there, I'm watching, seeing what's happening.
Speaker 1:That's great. We appreciate you for coming to this episode. Look forward to having another episode. So stay tuned. This is a two-part menu series and we're definitely looking forward to continuing the conversation and empowering, inspiring and motivating those in sterile processing. So once again, chantel, thank you very much for coming. I hope you enjoyed this episode. I enjoyed being able to glean from your experience.
Speaker 2:Thank you, bill. It's been a great. It's been a great conversation. Lots of organized chaos, lots going on in SPD that I think we need to. We need to get out there and I think you're you're doing a great thing. I appreciate it, thank you.
Speaker 1:We need to get out there and I think you're doing a great thing. I appreciate it. Thank you, Dan, and we'll see everyone on the next episode. And, once again, stay tuned for the next episode. We're coming back. It's going to be a two-part series and we'll see you all soon.
