By Michelle Beaver
Sterile processing is the backbone of medical procedures, yet the people who keep tools and equipment clean at healthcare facilities are often overlooked at best, ignored or belittled at worst. Regardless, most sterile processing technicians and managers march on, taking initiative, doing the best they can and caring about their jobs. No one exemplifies this spirit more than Michele De Meo, CBSPD, CRCST.
Michele, currently on medical leave from Memorial Hospital, in York, Pa., has served in sterile processing for 20 years and adores the profession. Michele has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and puts a lot of energy into fighting that illness, but still spends as much time as possible thinking about the sterile processing profession and communicating with her colleagues.
At York, Michele has served as manager of the sterile processing department since 2005. She was the facilities process-improvement manager at one time, joined several committees, conducted many training sessions and focus groups, implemented an SPD computer system, and wrote an SPD training manual. This is just a small sampling of what she accomplished there, let alone at her previous jobs. Michele is also a member of the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management; Association of peri-Operative Registered Nurses; The Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution, Inc.; the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. She's also served as a consultant and point person for many projects and groups.
And on top of it all, Michele has been published extensively.
For her know-how, experience, affiliations, publishing and passion, we'd like to honor Michele De Meo with this salute to service.
Michele's long career in sterile processing started with her knowledge that she wanted to work for an operating room. She followed up on this, and the rest is history.
