We partnered with a leading teaching hospital to transform their sterile processing department. Through hands-on training and leadership, we built a certified, resilient in-house team from the ground up.
Case study
From outsourced strain to in-house strength: A sterile processing success story
Overview
A leading teaching hospital faced major issues with outsourced sterile processing, including high error rates, staff turnover, and a lack of training. ASSI stepped in to build an in-house team, launch a training school, and provide interim leadership.
Within a year, certification rates rose from 27% to 88%, efficiency improved, and multiple staff members advanced into leadership roles, transforming SPD into a reliable, high-performing department.
Client
Teaching Hospital
Year
2004-2006
Staffing Support 2004–2018
Region
Southeastern U.S.
Solutions provided
-
Back-to-basics SPD Education
-
Interim Leadership
-
Interim Staffing
-
Transition Consulting
-
Offsite Reprocessing Leadership
”Advantage helped us take control of our Sterile Processing Department during a critical transition. Their structured, high-touch approach gave us not just the staff we needed, but the leadership bench we didn’t even know we were missing. The results speak for themselves.
Director of Perioperative ServicesTennessee University-Level Teaching Hospital
The challenge
The largest academic teaching hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, faced critical operational challenges within its Sterile Processing Department (SPD). The department had been outsourced, but the quality of contracted services had fallen below institutional standards.
Persistent issues included:
- Frequent surgical instrument errors
- Chronic bioburden contamination
- Delayed instrument delivery to the Operating Room
- High staff turnover
These conditions compromised surgical readiness, patient safety, and workflow efficiency.
The region’s limited pipeline of qualified SPD technicians left the hospital without a reliable source of trained personnel. The University engaged Advantage Support Services to establish a School of Sterile Processing to build a sustainable, certified talent pipeline. As SPD operations moved back in-house, Advantage was selected again to stabilize staffing, provide interim leadership, and manage the Off-site Reprocessing Center.
Our approach
Strategy
Advantage designed and executed a multi-phased strategy aligned with the hospital’s long-term goals
Targeted recruitment
Sourced and vetted 50 candidates, prioritizing aptitude, alignment with healthcare values, and personality traits over prior experience.
Structured training
Developed a comprehensive onboarding curriculum aligned with AAMI, IAHCSMM, and industry best practices.
Early stress testing
Introduced complex tasks early in training to help candidates self-select for long-term suitability.
Retention monitoring
Tracked performance and engagement, leading to a 50% retention rate in the first 3–6 months.
Leadership development
Mentored high-performing trainees, many of whom advanced to supervisory or managerial roles.
Feedback-driven iteration
Used lessons learned to improve the training and vetting model for broader deployment.
Findings
- 50 open positions required immediate hiring and onboarding
- No internal training infrastructure or certification pathways existed
- High attrition risk due to lack of experience among new hires
- The outsourced-to-in-house transition required a complete cultural reset
- No clear leadership pipeline to support long-term stability
Solution
We implemented a shift-based leadership structure to improve accountability and decision-making responsiveness.
Vendor tray management protocols were standardized, enabling better inventory tracking and timely preparation.
Reprocessing accuracy improved through daily audits and enhanced coordination between SPD and the OR, minimizing case delays and cancellations.
Certification systemwide rose from
27
to
81
Via training and Clinical Ladder implementation
Talent pipeline established
96
newly hired candidates trained and retained as fully functional sterile processing technicians
Expanded Advantage School of Sterile Processing to facility-employed technicians and achieved
100
pass rate for students who took the course
Impact
Advantage helped transition the SPD from outsourced dysfunction to a stable, high-performing in-house team.
Several trainees advanced to supervisory and managerial roles, both within the hospital and across the healthcare industry, reflecting the long-term effectiveness of the Advantage model.
The refined training and vetting model introduced by Advantage is now being replicated across other sites, supporting consistent staff quality and operational readiness.
Advantage continued to provide interim staffing and leadership as the primary contractor until 2018.
The Off-site Reprocessing Center evolved into a high-functioning, reliable extension of perioperative services, supporting increased surgical volume and improving clinician satisfaction.
The hospital leadership acknowledged Advantage not only as a staffing and training vendor but as a strategic partner in operational transformation.