Introduction
Founded in 1968, the American Society for Healthcare Central Service Professionals (ASHCSP)
is the principal connection for central services and sterile processing, providing quality services, publications and information designed to help professionals excel in the field and reach their maximum potential. Its members include managers and technicians who are either directly involved in or responsible for sterile processing and supply distribution.
ASHCSP encourages healthcare managers and staff to achieve high levels of patient and personnel safety through stringent medical device sterilization practices. The Society supports this goal by recognizing the overlap between central service functions and sterile processing, and providing an educational forum and tools to enable central service-sterile processing professionals to be efficient and effective in the areas of controlling and monitoring medical devices, infection control, and the administration of safety practices that benefit healthcare workers and the public at large.
Central service professionals influence hospital purchases and healthcare practices by holding responsibility for ensuring that patient equipment is available and sterile for use at all times - during routine examinations, as well as in complex surgeries and procedures. Central service professionals manage or aid in determining that equipment and supplies are selected in a cost-effective manner, while holding responsibility for deciding that these materials can be thoroughly sterilized before coming into contact with patients. It then packages them carefully, labels them correctly, makes them available for scheduled and emergency use, all the while ensuring that each items' sterile integrity is preserved to the moment it comes in contact with the patient. Central service professionals' commitment to safety helps make certain that patients and healthcare workers, and their families, are safe from infections that occur and are spread following contact with contaminated instruments.
79% of ASHCSP members hold management positions in a variety of healthcare settings including hospitals, universities, government, and acute care facilities. These members hold positions in central service distribution, sterile processing, materials management, education and nursing, to name just some of their responsibilities.
ASHCSP members are technically savvy, regularly using electronic communications, list serves and chat functions to seek advice and information from peers, and performing extensive product and service research via the World Wide Web. 5,000 unique visitors accessed ASHCSP's web site, www.ashcsp.org, in the first quarter of 2006.
30% of ASHCSP members hold one or more sterile processing related designations; as a result, they seek sources of continuing education credit with which to renew their certifications. ASHCSP has developed and is offering such continuing education materials via the members’ only area of the web site.
Other member benefits include:
- Quarterly newsletter
- Continuing Education Series (CES)
- Career opportunities
- Member discounts on educational seminars and products
- Access to the ASHCSP and AHA's "member-only" sections on the websites
- Participation in membership bulletin board access
- Representation and advocacy
- Central Service/Sterile Processing Recognition Week and Awards Program
ASHCSP supports 37 affiliated chapters throughout the United States and works with similar member organizations in Malaysia, Japan and Mexico. Chapters offer local networking, education opportunities and recognition on a local level, and provide a forum and network for problem solving with peers.
ASHCSP uses its position as a Personal Membership Group (PMG) of the American Hospital Association (AHA) to support members with legislative representation and advocacy through AHA’s efforts. This relationship also allows ASHCSP to provide its members with information and exposure with: AHA News Now; the AHA Resource Center; and the AHA Web Site - all providing connections to services and information through the national organization for hospitals and health care networks.
ASHCSP urges central sterile processing professionals to invest in their career by seeking out formal and informal educational opportunities on an ongoing basis, exchanging ideas and seeking solutions through their peer network, and by always engaging in safe healthcare practices.
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