Medical device processing is critically important to the safety of patients everywhere. This podcast from Healthmark Industries is about answering questions and sharing knowledge related to sterile processing, endoscopy, infection prevention, biomedical engineering, leadership, and products. Have a question you would like answered on the show? Send it to our email address asktheeducator@hmark.com.
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Ask The Educator
Medical device processing is critically important to the safety of patients everywhere
- Episodes
- 166
- Run
- 2020 – 2026
- Latest
- Oct 2026
About the show
Episodes
166 total · newest first
Press play on any episode and the show keeps running from there.
94. Implementing an Endoscope Surveillance System
Do you know what is inside your flexible scopes? Microbial surveillance can tell you exactly what is living inside your scopes, but how can we implement that kind of program? Dr. Mary Ann Drosnock joins the podcast to share how we can creat…
Fire in the OR! Why Checking Cords for Integrity and Continuity is Important
Have you ever had fire start in your SPD or OR? Or have you heard of a patient being burned by electrosurgical equipment? If FDA reports are any indication, most of us have experienced at least one of these events at some point in our caree…
What Do You Do When it's Not in the IFU?
After a LinkedIn post made by our host, Kevin Anderson, about the importance of testing bipolar forceps for insulation integrity, our guest, Rebecca Peplau, commented about a scenario featuring a specific brand of bipolar forceps and how th…
Where is Your Why?
In many processing departments too, much emphasis is placed purely on repetition as the means educating the staff. Unfortunately, this leaves many processing professional ill equipped to make good decisions when problems arise. In these mom…
90. What is PB70 and the Protective Barriers Committee?
Tune in to this episode featuring Jill Holdsworth and Cheron Rojo to get introduced to PB70, the Protective Barriers Committee.
89. ST98: New Guidelines for Manufacturer Cleaning Validation
You may be familiar with ST79 (steam sterilization) and ST91 (flexible endoscopes), but have you heard about ST98: Cleaning validation for healthcare products? AAMI veteran Ralph Basile guides through what the new guidelines state about how…
88 ST91 Part 6 of 6 John Informative Annexes
Whether you're a veteran of flexible endoscope processing, or brand new to the field, this podcast series on ST91 is designed for you! In this episode with guest John Whelan, we discuss ST91 and the informative annexes at the back of the do…
87. ST91 - Part 5 of 6: Quality Assurance
Whether you're a veteran of flexible endoscope processing, or brand new to the field, this podcast series on ST91 is designed for you! In this episode, Dr. Mary Ann Drosnock takes us through the steps of flexible endoscope quality assurance…
86. ST91 - Part 4 of 6: Handling and Storage of Scopes Post-Processing
Whether you're a veteran of flexible endoscope processing, or brand new to the field, this podcast series on ST91 is designed for you! What do the new standards state about how you should be transporting your scopes? And are there new evide…
85. ST91 - Part 3 of 6: Point of Use Treatment and Leak Testing
Whether you're a veteran of flexible endoscope processing, or brand new to the field, this podcast series on ST91 is designed for you! Why is pre-cleaning is no longer the terminology used when talking about what is done at the point-of-use…
84. ST91 - Part 2 of 6: High Risk Endoscopes, Manual Disinfection, and Sterilization
Whether you're a veteran of flexible endoscope processing, or brand new to the field, this podcast series on ST91 is designed for you! In this episode, Dr. Mary Ann Drosnock explains what "high-risk endoscopes" are within ST91, why the stan…
83. ST91 - Part 1 of 6: What is ST91? An Introduction to Flexible Endoscope Standards
Whether you're a veteran of flexible endoscope processing, or brand new to the field, this podcast series on ST91 is designed for you! Dr. Mary Ann Drosnock introduces us to the newest AAMI standard for flexible endoscope processing, ST91. …
82. Gladiators Hold the Line! A Patient & Parent Story with Alisha Loy
How is a sterile processing technician like a gladiator? Alisha Loy recaps her outstanding international webinar appearance detailing her journey as both a patient and parent through the healthcare system, and how she found her way in a dep…
81. Education Culture in Sterile Processing
What is "Education Culture" in Sterile Processing and how can we create a culture of education in SPD? How do we maintain it? And more importantly, how do we get staff to buy in? In this episode of the Ask the Educator Podcast, Kevin and Ad…
80. Sourcing Solutions from Multiple Vendors in SPD
The pandemic certainly changed a lot in our world, but one thing it exposed for us in Central Service was the weaknesses in our supply chains and our ability to survive without our needed supplies. In this episode, guest Jamie Terran outlin…
79. Psychological Safety and Forming the Multidisciplinary Team
In this epidode, Kevin and Adam speak to Marjorie Wall and Joseph Avila, both Directors at Memorial Hermann Health System in Texas. Don't miss this essential talk on the importance of "psychological safety" in the sterile processing departm…
78. Sterile Processing: Safety First
In this episode, Jahan Azizi outlines the common safety hazards that we see in sterile processing departments each day, and the reasons behind why departments don't (or can't) prioritize the safety of its employees.
77. Horror Stories in Sterile Processing with the Healthmark Educators
Do you ever wonder what consultants see when they go into hospitals across the country? Well, we can tell you from experience that it's not always pretty. In this episode of the Ask the Educator Podcast, Kevin Anderson is on the other side …
76. Insulation Testing of Surgical Instruments with Cheron Rojo
In this episode, Kevin & Adam speak with Cheron Rojo, who will be recapping his most recent International Webinar presentation on insulation testing. Learn how Cheron's personal story inspired his research and what the data tells us abo…
75. SID, Layerjot, and the Future of Surgical Instrument Identification with Etay Gafni
In this episode of the Ask The Educator Podcast, we interview Etay Gafni about Layerjot's new project: the Surgical Instrument Database, or S.I.D. for short. What is SID? How can Sterile Processing Technicians utilize it to identify our sur…
74. Peel Pouch Problems
Malinda Elammari and Kevin Anderson continue their discussion on common peel pouch problems that are found in SPD departments. #sterileprocessing #peelpouch #sterileprocessingtech #asktheeducatorpodcast
73. How Confident are You in Your Peel Pouch Seals?
Malinda Elammari and host, Kevin Anderson discuss peel pouches and common issues with their seals.
72. Can we get an IFU for finding and using IFUs?
Adam Okada, Seth Hendee, and Kevin Anderson all discuss the need for training and documented competency for IFUs. Many departments now have access to IFU database software. However, it is common for users to struggle to find the IFU and/or …
71. Cleaning up a Wet Mess: Troubleshooting Wet Packs
In this interview, Adam Okada and Kevin Anderson discuss the trouble with wet packs. What are some common errors made when troubleshooting wet packs and what are some resources to consider when tackling this frustrating problem in sterile p…