First Case

The perioperative podcast with a punch! Join us as we discuss the hot topics in the OR industry! And now, it’s time to roll back, and start the First Case…

From the back table to the board room, from wheels in to wheels out. -- we tackle the real-life issues affecting the OR. Whether you’re tuning in for surgical service education or inspiration, we’re glad you're here.

09/10/2025

🎧https://educate.beyondclean.net/4mMBujZ 🎧 // In 2011, an EF5 tornado ripped through Joplin, Missouri, destroying St. John’s Regional Medical Center and claiming 158 lives. Lindsey Joyce narrowly missed being there that day, and now she’s sharing her story, along with five critical tornado preparedness tips every OR team should know.

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Articles On-the-Go presents perioperative insights from written articles in a creative, easy to listen, audio format. Think audio book, meets busy Operating Room professional!

09/09/2025

📣Welcome back to the First Case SPD Quality Improvement Expert Series™ featuring Marcy Konja, Vice President, Sterile Processing Solutions, and Gregg Agoston, Vice President, from SpecialtyCare.

Tune in here: https://educate.beyondclean.net/4p5guqr
In this episode, we'll tackle one of the biggest challenges in sterile processing: balancing surgical volumes with instrument inventory and SPD equipment reliability.

💡 Key takeaways:

📌New surgeons = new instrument needs. Without proper onboarding and communication, SPD is left scrambling to “make miracles happen.”
📌Overstuffed, outdated sets create inefficiencies – some trays have 75 instruments, but only 25 are consistently used.
📌Tracking turnaround frequency helps justify purchasing additional sets and reducing IUSS events.
📌SPD equipment like washers, cart washers, and autoclaves directly impact quality and case readiness.
📌Regular maintenance schedules and accountability are critical to preventing delays and canceled surgeries.

🎧 Listen now to learn how your team can improve communication, optimize processes, and keep cases running smoothly.

❓Have a question or comment for our experts? Connect with Marcy at [email protected] and Gregg at [email protected].

Stay tuned, there’s more to come next month! 🙌

09/08/2025

🎧https://educate.beyondclean.net/3I8Rf5R 🎧 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 16 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 17, 𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 8!

What is the secret to happiness? The answer, according to Dr. Michael Redler, Orthopedic Surgeon at Connecticut Orthopedics, is great communication. Communicating effectively sets the tone for our whole day in the Operating Room. Do we have the supplies needed for a case? Did the right grafts or implants get brought in? Was everyone in the room treated with respect and recognized as a valuable contributor to the success of the case? Join us for this exciting start to Season 8 as Dr. Redler shares his insights and advice for great communication!

09/05/2025

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹

Edith was a British nurse, who moved to Belgium in 1907 to help establish Belgium’s first professional nursing school. When WW1 broke out in 1914, she stayed behind in German-occupied Belgium, determined to care for all wounded soldiers, no matter which side they fought for. But her compassion didn’t stop there. Quietly, and at great personal risk, Edith began helping Allied soldiers escape to neutral Holland, and over time, she and her network saved the lives of more than 200 soldiers.

However, her bravery came at a devastating cost. In August 1915, Edith was arrested by German authorities, and despite international pleas for mercy, she was executed by firing squad on October 12,1915.

The night before her death, Edith spoke words that still echo through history:

“𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙢 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝. 𝙄 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚.”

Her ex*****on shocked the world, inspiring outrage and strengthening Allied resolve. After the war, Edith was honored with a state funeral at Westminster Abbey and laid to rest at Norwich Cathedral. Today, statues, memorials, and the Cavell Nurses’ Trust continue to carry forward her legacy of service and sacrifice.

You can read more about Edith here: https://educate.beyondclean.net/3VyGGMt

09/04/2025

“You’ve got to understand their world.”

In the fast-paced world of surgical services, it’s easy for departments to get caught up in their own challenges and lose sight of the bigger picture.

In this episode, Suzi Collins, Market Director of Supply Chain for Steward HealthCare, shares why it’s essential for OR teams and supply chain to truly understand each other’s workflows. From shadowing sterile processing to observing OR cases, Susie’s approach focuses on education and building empathy between departments to improve communication, reduce friction, and ultimately provide safer, more efficient patient care.

🎧 Tune in to learn how collaboration can transform the relationship between the OR and supply chain. https://educate.beyondclean.net/4m0fPUr

09/01/2025

https://traffic.libsyn.com/firstcase/FC_Ep8_3.mp3 🎧 //

Season 16 has come to an end, and we're looking forward to the Season 17 premiere in October! While we wait, enjoy this great conversation with Suzi Collins, FAHRMM, CMRP !!

“It’s on backorder.” How many times have you heard that answer when you asked why a needed supply wasn’t on the shelf? Wouldn’t it be better if your team knew ahead of time that items weren’t available, and they knew what steps were already being taken to resolve the issue?

In this interview with Suzi Collins, Market Director of Supply Chain at Steward Healthcare, we’re going to be talking about the relationship between the Operating Room and Supply Chain and how important proper communication is between the two departments. How do we get the supplies that we need? How much lead time does Supply Chain need in order to have a product available? Why does it seem like Supply Chain says NO every time you ask for something? It’s not because they don’t like you! Tune in to this episode to find out!

08/29/2025

In the mid-1800s, Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis noticed something heartbreaking. Mothers giving birth in one clinic of the Vienna General Hospital were dying of childbed fever at shocking rates, while mothers in another clinic were not.

Semmelweis dug into the problem and discovered the difference: doctors were moving directly from autopsies to deliveries without washing their hands. He introduced handwashing with chlorinated lime, and the results were astounding. Maternal deaths plummeted from nearly 1 in 5 women to just 1–2%. Lives were being saved.

But here’s the tragic part: his peers refused to believe him. They resisted the idea that unseen “particles” carried disease, and instead of celebrating him, many ridiculed and rejected his work.

Semmelweis became increasingly vocal, desperate for others to see the truth. Sadly, his passion was mistaken for instability. In 1865, he was committed to an asylum, where he died shortly thereafter - ironically from sepsis, the very infection he had fought so hard to prevent.

Today, his once-ignored discovery is one of the most important foundations of modern medicine, and he is recognized as a pioneer of antiseptic policy.

You can read more here: https://educate.beyondclean.net/3HyOsml

08/28/2025

Turning education into interactive, real-world scenarios keeps staff engaged and helps knowledge stick. How are you making learning fun in the OR?

Learn more about making learning engaging and fun in this week's interview with Matt Lowe! https://educate.beyondclean.net/424ISPp

08/27/2025

🎧 https://educate.beyondclean.net/45q1s5p 🎧 // We’ve all heard it: “Nursing is a calling.” It sounds noble, but this romanticized language has a hidden price. It can normalize burnout, justify unsafe staffing, and excuse inadequate pay, all under the guise of dedication.

In this eye-opening episode, Melanie Perry, BSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM, challenges the “calling” narrative and makes a case for recognizing nursing as the highly skilled, indispensable profession it truly is, and one that deserves respect, fair compensation, and safe working conditions.

08/26/2025

According to the AORN Guideline on Retained Surgical Items, the correct answer is all of the above! What incorrect items have you seen in your practice? 4 sponges instead of 5? 9 needles instead of 8? 🤔

Tell us in the comments! ⬇️

08/25/2025

🎙️https://educate.beyondclean.net/3JuYd5w 🎙️ // It’s the Season 16 finale of First Case! 🎉 This week, we're wrapping up the season with a conversation you don’t want to miss. We sit down with Matt Lowe, Clinical Programs Director for SSIs at Medline, to explore how we can make OR education engaging, relevant, and effective. From gamification and escape-room style learning to the vital role of unit champions, Matt shares strategies to keep staff learning, prevent complacency, and ensure safe patient care.

🎧Tune in now!

08/24/2025

🏄 Surf’s up! Episode 12 is LIVE! Tune in here: https://educate.beyondclean.net/3Juz5fi // On this episode of StreetClothes, we speak with a clinician with a passion for chasing waves and finding rhythm in the ocean’s tide. From early-morning paddles to the rush of a perfect swell, this surfer blends patience, balance, and energy into every ride.

Tune in to hear how Eric Price paddles past the daily grind and chases the thrill of the waves…

If you like this series OR have an interesting side-hustle, passion project, or hobby you do outside of your hospital day job that keeps you inspired, refreshed, and motivated, we'd love to hear from you in the comments below or message Hank Balch on LinkedIn for a chance to come on the show and share it with the world!

Stay tuned—another episode of StreetClothes drops in 2 weeks, and you won’t want to miss it!

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