I am a member of the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management.

IAHCSMM represents approximately 20,000 central sterile supply department professionals in the U.S. and abroad who facilitate the procurement, management and processing of surgical instruments, supplies and equipment. IAHCSMM is committed to promoting safety and preventing infections for patients by providing educational and professional development opportunities to central sterile supply department professionals.

Central service technicians serve in settings ranging from hospitals to ambulatory surgical centers. Their tasks include decontaminating, cleaning, processing, assembling, sterilizing, storing and distributing the medical devices and supplies needed for patient care.

The central service department of a health care facility is the heart of all activity surrounding instruments, supplies and equipment required for operating rooms, endoscopy suites, ICU, birth centers and other patient care areas. Department personnel play an important role in patient care and are responsible for first-line processes to prevent patient infections.

International Central Service Week, Oct. 13-19, recognizes the contribution central service technicians make to patient safety and the opportunities and challenges facing the profession.

Their safe care and handling of such delicate, expensive and much-needed equipment, supplies and medical instrumentation deserves recognition and gratitude. Without their dedication to this little known profession, patient care would not be what it is today.

Central service technicians are the unsung heroes of the surgical arena.

Victoria Roy, Lewiston