| Past Issues | Printer-Friendly | Send to a Friend | Advertise | www.csao.net | April 4, 2014 |
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
 CSAO has been very busy this year. This is an election year, and we will have an upcoming election to vote for your CSAO Vice President. Denise Bosnjak and Louis Konstant have both been nominated for Vice President. Ballots have been sent out, so please take a moment to review everything and return your completed ballot by mail, fax or email by April 30, 2014. There is also an election in Theta for their Chapter Representative on the Board of Directors. Candidates are Jeffrey Phelps and Tammy Bennardo. Theta members will receive the ballots for this election, so again please take the time to review and return your completed ballot. This is very exciting that we have this interest and enthusiasm in the work we are doing for all Medical Device Reprocessing Technicians in the province of Ontario. Chapter level executive positions have also been nominated and acclaimed. A full list of your new CSAO Board of Directors, each Chapter Executive and the outcome of these above mentioned elections will be updated on the website in May. All of our elected members who volunteer their own personal time into making CSAO what it is and assisting in our vision for growth have done wonderful work for the Association and your Chapter. I thank each and everyone who steps forward in these roles to support the work of Medical Device Reprocessing Technicians across the province. We couldn't do all this without you!
Learn More... VICE PRESIDENT'S REPORT
 I have been spending many hours working with Chris Ward and the executive on Strategic planning. We had a posting up through Workopolis looking for a textbook and workbook editor. From 13 resumes, we narrowed the candidates down to six. I was a part of a panel of five that interviewed on Friday afternoon, March 28, 2014. Planning is going well for the Annual Conference, please plan to attend, you are sure to have a great time.CSA Update: Z314.8 Decontamination of Reusable Medical Devices is complete and available for purchase. Z314.3 Effective Sterilization in Health Care Facilities by the Steam Process has been reviewed by the technical committee after public review and has gone to the editors. Learn More...  I am currently coordinating the Eta chapter Spring course, and it is always good to see so many people refreshing themselves with up to date knowledge and also people who would like to make a career out of Medical Device Reprocessing. We are busy planning the annual conference in September and looking forward to attending and exhibiting at other Provincial and National conferences to promote CSAO and the incredible amount of work and time that the executive put in to keep the association current.
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CHAPTER REPORT
The Delta Chapter met on March 19 at the Hamilton Health Sciences - Juravinski site. We discussed the election process and introduced the new Delta Executive.
Learn More... This ETA Chapter report will summarize the recent nomination and elections that took place as well as the chapter meeting activity. This June will mark the start of a new membership year as well as a new Chapter and Provincial Executive.
Learn More... Happy Spring Everyone. Our current membership is at 115
Congratulations to our incoming Theta Chapter Executive, and a big thank you for putting your names forward to keep the Chapter growing and thriving for the members. Learn More... The Lambda Chapter held its last meeting on March 5, 2014. Members discussed at length the Strategic Plan that was released to members in February. Lambda will focus this spring on having a membership drive to increase our numbers. Two free membership rebate draws were held to kick off our membership. We welcome all new members.
Learn More...  The WFHSS dedicates itself to the promotion of the worldwide harmonization of sterilization departments and of decontamination practices especially by providing: A meeting place for national and regional non-profit sterilization societies, thus stimulating cooperation and the exchange of information and best practices; and information via its website to all our stakeholders and interested parties. In this way we make a contribution not only to ensure that the quality of reprocessing is of the highest possible level across the globe but also to make the basic right of every patient to be treated with a medical device of a good quality come true. Integrity and objectivity, openness and transparency, cooperation and support are the core values in our organization.
Learn More... SPECIAL EVENTS
Blending Our Talents - Orchestrating Better Outcomes
Society of Gastroenterology and Associates Annual Conference Learn More... The 2014 IAHCSMM Annual Conference & Expo will take place in Columbus, Ohio, May 4-7, and will offer the widest range of Central Service educational offerings ever. This conference will provide attendees all of the resources needed to elevate their knowledge and promote ongoing quality and professionalism within their department.
Learn More... COMMUNITY AND HOSPITAL INFECTION CONTROL ASSOCIATION-CANADA
2014 National Education Conference Prevention, A Port in Any Storm Halifax, Nova Scotia May 25-28, 2014 Learn More...  This year's annual CSAO Conference"TAKING IT TO THE TOP – People, Process & Peak Performance " September 7, 8 and 9, 2014, at the International Plaza Hotel and Conference Centre (formally the DoubleTree by Hilton) Learn More... 2014 CSGNA National Conference
October 2-4, 2014 Scotiabank Convention Centre Niagara Falls, Ontario Learn More... Annual WFHSS & Central and Eastern European Congress 2014
October 15-18, 2014 Prague, Czech Republic (Organized by WFHSS and SPNN) Learn More... CANADIAN STANDARDS & ACCREDITATION
This is the fourth edition of CSA Z314.8 Decontamination of reusable medical devices. It supersedes the previous editions published in 2008, 2000, and 1998. It is one of a series of CSA Standards dealing with the safe and effective sterilization of medical supplies and equipment.
This new edition provides users with an expanded section on endoscopy, including a table providing guidance on timely reprocessing. Requirements explained in terms of A0 values are also introduced. This Standard is to be used in conjunction with CSA Z314.0, Medical device reprocessing - General requirements, which provides the framework to establish, document, and maintain policies and procedures for the reprocessing of medical devices to develop a Quality Management System (QMS). Learn More... Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee (PIDAC) document with latest revisions (Feb. 2010).
Learn More... Accreditation Canada's Standards for the Reprocessing and Sterilization of Reusable Medical Devices were prepared in response to requests from health service organizations, regulators and governments for a set of national standards. They have been developed in conjunction with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and incorporate many elements from existing CSA standards.
Learn More...  The complexity and temperature sensitivity of flexible endoscopes makes cleaning followed by sterilization/disinfection difficult. While sterilization may be optimal, the minimum acceptable standard for reprocessing endoscopes is high level disinfection (HLD). At all times, cleaning must precede high level disinfection. Endoscopic accessories do require sterilization. Whenever flexible endoscopes are reprocessed, those involved in the reprocessing must adhere to the validated protocol recommended by the manufacturer of the endoscope.
Learn More... ARTICLES RELATED TO STERILIZATION AND DECONTAMINATION
How is the central service/sterile processing department (CS/SPD) profession changing as a growing number of states pursue legislation for mandatory certification of CS/SPD technicians? We explore this and other industry issues in the 2014 Healthcare Purchasing News CS/SPD Salary Survey.
The average CS/SPD salary rose slightly, from $53,605 in 2013 to $55,065 in 2014, as did the number of CS/SPD professionals reporting annual base salary increases, from 52 percent in 2013 to 56 percent in 2014. This year, respondents reported their average increase in annual compensation to be 3 percent. Learn More... Doctors and hospital officials from Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, are notifying 18 neurosurgery patients that they might have been exposed to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a serious and incurable neurological disorder.
Learn More... Surgeries are being cancelled for the next 10 days at a Regina hospital because of equipment sterilization issues. The Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region says it's postponing surgeries at the Pasqua Hospital, one of two hospitals in the capital city. Health region CEO Keith Dewar says a team is working to identify the root cause of the problem and how to fix it.
Learn More... Greetings to All This time of the year marks the closing few weeks of the membership year as well as the end of the two-year term for elected provincial and chapter officials. Much great work has been done by many at all levels and it will be farewell to a few and welcoming some new faces into these groups. There are many exciting initiatives ahead in the CSAO strategy over the next couple of years. They involve many important areas such as recognition and respect for our profession, positioning of CSAO for the future and our role in providing education in the future. Input will be required by all in order to make this process a true reflection of the members' needs and a success. Please let me know if you have any ideas to add to any upcoming eNewsletters. |
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