2026 Healthcare Trends

Healthcare is entering a defining shift in 2026. It is one where outcomes, not activity, determine value. Federal reimbursement models are increasingly tied to measurable…

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Missing Indicators in Surgical Sets: An Industry Education Topic

Defining the Problem Missing chemical or biological indicators inside surgical trays represent a significant patient safety risk and a major deviation from national standards.  Chemical…

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Why Your Sterile Processing Department Needs Digital Tracking

When Maria, the Sterile Processing Manager at a mid-size hospital, got the call that morning, her stomach dropped. An OR nurse had reported instruments from…

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Cultivating Service Excellence in Sterile Processing: Why It Matters Now More Than Ever

If you’ve ever worked in Sterile Processing, you know that the word “service” can sometimes feel like an afterthought, or even a burden. Our teams…

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Driving Change Through Data

When our health system began planning for a centralized offsite reprocessing center, I knew that success would require more than just expanding capacity. We needed…

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Surgical Instruments: Healthcare’s Multimillion-Dollar Blind Spot

The Hidden Cost in the Healthcare Supply Chain When people think about the healthcare supply chain, they often focus on high-dollar categories like implants, pharmaceuticals,…

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What I Wish I Knew About Leading A Startup: Lessons On Leadership

At Ascendco, innovation is who we are. But it doesn’t happen by accident. And it doesn’t start with tech, tools, or trends. It starts with…

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Control Your Risk, So It Doesn’t Control You

Hospitals are under more pressure than ever. Surgical volumes are rising, staff are stretched thin, and sterile processing teams are expected to do more with…

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Power of Presence: Being in the Right Place at the Right Time in Sterile Processing

Supporting Those Who Support Patient Safety Patient safety doesn’t start in the operating room, it begins long before, in sterile processing departments where technicians ensure…

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The Hidden Cost of Surgical Waste: A Smarter Approach to Surgical Trays

When you are packing for a trip, you’ve probably asked yourself: Am I overpacking? Over the years, through my travels and experiences, I’ve come to…

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A Simple Solution: Why Simplicity is the Key to Sterile Processing

Behind every successful surgery lies an intricate system of processing surgical instruments. These instruments follow a complex journey, from the sterile processing unit to the…

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Quantifying Quality: Advancing Sterile Processing through Digital Transparency

Digital Transparency Staff turnover rates and surgical cases are rapidly increasing, with a lack of standardization and faulty equipment creating alarming levels of surgical risk…

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