| Surgical
Specialties |
 |
Central Services |
An essential support service for any hospital-based surgical
facility is the department responsible for cleaning, processing,
sterilizing, storing and distributing supplies and equipment.
At Central Maine Medical Center, this department is called
Central Services.
The recently renovated Central Services area at CMMC is a
dynamic place where staff members must remain current with
new technologies, developments in surgical protocols, and
changing regulations. Whether managing inventory or sterilizing
surgical instruments, central supply technicians at CMMC play
an important role in the function of the Medical Center's
Surgical Services Department.
“At CMMC, we strive for the highest level of product
and service quality for our customers. The central service
technicians at CMMC are required to pass a national certification
exam. They must learn medical terminology and the names and
functions of all the instruments used in the operating room.
This is a no small feat,” says Mary Turcotte, R.N, CMMC's
Central Service manager.
“Understanding anatomy and physiology, the mechanisms
of disease transmission and infection control, and the principles
of disinfection and sterilization are also essential for any
central service technicians,” she adds.
A core task of the central service technician is the proper
cleaning and care of instruments and equipment to make them
safe for use in the operating room. Furthermore, since healthcare
facilities have a large financial investment in medical instrumentation
and devices, it's important that these materials be well maintained.
Meeting this responsibility requires technicians to learn
countless details regarding the proper care of a large variety
of items.
Since there are a number of sterilization processes, each
with its own set of rules, the central supply tech must be
knowledgeable in the process of sterilization and the maintenance
of sterility in a wide range of applications.
|
