Director Sterile Processing

Your Role : Provides overall leadership for the Sterile Processing department by developing goals and objectives which align with organizational values. Oversees the development of policies which affects the sterilization processes of Perioperative and clinic areas. Prepares, presents and assesses the operating and capital expenditure budgets to insure they meet approved requirements. Monitors and establishes processes to ensure that all practices of the Sterile Processing department are within the established guidelines of the appropriate regulatory agencies.


Key Responsibilities:

• Develops goals and objectives for Sterile Processing based on interpretation of the policy and goals of Perioperative and Procedural Services.
• Develops and implement plan to establish priorities and to achieve short and long- term goals.
• Ensures department understands and supports the vision of the hospital and medical center.
• Initiates changes in or develop new policies, procedures and/or methods based on standards of AAMI.
• Analyzes long-range impact of decisions and plans.
• Ensures the most effective operations of Sterile Processing through program development, process improvement and coordination/integration of processes within Perioperative and Procedural Services and other departments.
• Reviews and provides recommendations and support to other departments on issues related to sterile processing.
• Standardizes processing services, processes, resources, and practices to improve quality and efficiency.
• Adjusts work schedules or project priorities to meet emergencies or changing conditions.
• Represents Sterile Processing on departmental and/or interdepartmental committees to address problems and facilitate information exchange about programs, problems, etc.
• Leads, attends and provides input at intradepartmental leadership meetings to ensure leadership team is aware of department's operational status.
• Analyzes and evaluate ongoing department programs to identify areas where adjustments/improvements are needed.
• Develops staffing plans to ensure operational and administrative needs are met.
• Defines and achieves financial targets in support of business goals of Perioperative and Procedural Services.
• Prepares annual operating budget for Sterile Processing and Surgical Instrumentation including direct and indirect labor, material and supplies, services, equipment maintenance and replacement.
• Presents and justifies proposed budgets (operating and capital expenditure) to hospital administration review committee.
• Evaluates organizational functions and structures to best determine the allocation and utilization of resources.
• Monitors and reviews department financials on monthly basis; determines cause and corrective action for any variance.
• Prepares justification or develops alternatives for cost containment/reduction.
• Projects future budgets based upon analysis of current operations.
• Creates and exceeds service standards utilizing key service dimension and from knowledge of patient/customer expectations and best practice.
• Establishes service standards for the department and determine if service standards are compatible with financial targets.
• Ensures that the service standards are met or exceeded by utilizing customer satisfaction, best practices and market information to improve stakeholder service and satisfaction.
• Meets or exceeds national operational benchmarks for Sterile Processing Departments.

• Bachelor's Degree and 5 years of management experience in a Sterile Processing or Central Supply department
• Certified Registered Central Sterilization Tech or Certified Surgical Tech
• Previous Management Experience

• Master's Degree
• Lean Experience
• Experience managing a large facility of 600 beds or more
• 3 - 5 years of experience either working in or managing an Endoscopy department
• Budgeting experience

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:

Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. It is a place where your diversity -- of culture, thinking, learning and leading -- is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt's mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

We are dedicated to our patients and surgeons by providing quality care with attention to reusable instrumentation. Our commitment is "Every Patient, Every Time". We are the heart of the hospital! Our Sterile processing department is comprised of two locations that work together to ensure high quality instruments needs are met for patients and surgeons. With the use of our instrument tracking system, we excel in the preparation of reusable instrumentation and equipment for clinical and surgical procedures across the entire campus. Services include but not limited to Robotic, Endoscopic, Laparoscopic, Cardiac, Trauma, Neuro, Spine, Orthopedic, Ear Nose and Throat, Plastics, Ophthalmology, Vascular, Donor, and transplant services.

• We average 150 surgical procedures a day and process 600 instrument pans per day.
• Central Sterile processing on main campus (Vanderbilt Hospital), includes 29 team members and provides reprocessing service for 37 clinics and units as well as 54 operating rooms.
• Endosurgery department on main campus (Vanderbilt Hospital) includes 10 team members specialized in reprocessing Endoscopic and laparoscopic equipment.
• 100 Oaks (Off-Site) Central Sterile processing includes 2 team members focused on reprocessing clinic instrumentation and equipment.
• Vanderbilt Case Cart Operation Center (Off-Site) includes 25 team members that provides reprocessing service for 21 offsite clinics and 54 operating rooms.

Click here to learn how we are: Defining Personalized Care

VUMC Recent Accomplishments

Because we are committed to providing the best in patient care, education and research, we are proud of our recent accomplishments:

• US News & World Report: #1 Hospital in Tennessee, #1 Health Care Provider in Nashville, #1 Audiology ( Bill Wilkerson Center ), 9 adult and 9 pediatric clinical specialties ranked among the nation's best, #15 Education and Training
• Truven Health Analytics: among the top 100 hospitals in the US
• Becker's Hospital Review: one of the "100 Greatest Hospitals in America"
• The Leapfrog Group: grade "A" in Hospital Safety Score
• National Institutes of Health: among the top 10 grant awardees for medical research in the US
• American Association for the Advancement of Science: 12 faculty members elected fellows in 2014
• Magnet Recognition Program: Vanderbilt nurses are the only group honored in Tennessee
• Nashville Business Journal: Middle Tennessee's healthiest employer
• American Hospital Association: among the 100 "Most Wired" medical systems in the US