SOMC’s Sterile Processing Department Renovation Highlighted in Magazine

It takes a team to be successful.

Due to the collaboration, or “team-based planning,” between SOMC and DesignGroup out of Columbus, Ohio, SOMC’s Central Sterile Department was successfully renovated. This project and the teams were recently highlighted in Healthcare Design Magazine.

“Team-based planning” refers to a collaboration effort of recruiting key users, such as contractors and engineers, from the beginning and planning out the project together.

SOMC recognized the need to update the central sterile department due to its dated interior, which caused issues within the department for the staff.

The project team, including all key members, went to the drawing board and began establishing what the department needed and how to execute the construction from start to finish. They completed a study to know how much the project would cost. The article notes that the pandemic hit and a failed instrument needed for the project created initial hurdles shortly after the study. Due to already having a plan outlined, the team could quickly note the issues and find a solution to keep the project on track.

Another major hurdle to overcome was keeping the department fully operational during construction. Noting this obstacle early on allowed the team to create a plan and keep costs down. They concluded that the best option for the project would be to conduct the construction in two phases, one-half of the rooms in the first phase and the rest in the second phase.

After only three months, the project was completed. Although there were obstacles along the way, the blueprint allowed the team to go back and quickly adjust the following steps and not prolong the project.

In the article, Justin Clark, SOMC Administrative Director of Plant Operations, said, “I think the overall highlight for me is that we delivered a complex construction project on schedule and under budget while meeting every stated goal from the stakeholder group without reducing any operational throughput.”

Julie Thornsberry, SOMC Operating Room Nurse Manager, said this project drastically improved how the central sterile department functions.

“Lots of planning and work went into this project,” Thornsberry said. “We had all the right people at the table to make this happen. I cannot express how grateful I am for all involved who listened to our staff and made this project work for us.”