Medical Device Reprocessing Association of Nova Scotia -MDRANS

Dear Members,

I want to take a moment to recognize the incredible work you all do every day. As we celebrate Medical Device Reprocessing Week, it’s especially important to acknowledge the dedication and expertise that each of you brings to this vital role. Medical Device Reprocessing (MDR) technicians are truly the backbone of healthcare, ensuring that every instrument used in patient care is safe and reliable. Your dedication to excellence keeps hospitals running smoothly, and ultimately, helps save lives.

Our spring education session “May the Fourth be with you” was a wonderful example of our commitment to lifelong learning. It was inspiring to see so many of you join us, and the sessions were not only informative but also a testament to the value of staying current in our field. Your enthusiasm for improving your skills is what makes our community so strong.

Looking ahead, our upcoming Conference on September 12-14, 2025, is another fantastic opportunity for us to come together, learn, and grow. This event is designed to help organize educational activities for our membership, and we strongly encourage new members to take part and become an active part of our community. It’s through events like these that we can continue to support each other and advance our profession.

Membership in our association is more than just a connection—it’s a commitment to advancing our profession. By sharing knowledge and supporting each other, we all contribute to the highest standards in patient care. Thank you for your hard work, your dedication, and for continuing to make a real difference in healthcare.

With appreciation from the MDRANS Executive

Rebecca White

President MDRANS

Oct 14/2024

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MARITIME BUSINESS COLLEGE- OPEN HOUSE

May the 4th Recap

May the 4^th Be With You has come and gone. Thank you to all who attended the MDRANS education day on May 4^th, 2024.

I certainly enjoyed the day and I hope you did too. I always walk away from these education days with so much. I learn the latest information and new concepts; I get to meet new people and new speakers and I get to reconnect with colleagues.

Sarah B Cruz certainly gave us so much to think about and a lot to reflect on. She encouraged us to continue growing in our personal and professional lives.

Leeanne Ismail with Solventum provided a great refresher in addition to new info and updates from CSA.

Tiffany Church reviewed the competency assessment process and why we complete competencies. She also led us through a challenging but fun game of MDR Trivia.

Barry Pickrem shared his newest adventure of having his poster displayed at the HSPA conference in Las Vegas. I am confident there is more to come from Barry in the future.

Overall, they provided us with new skills and encouraged us to continue growing in our roles.

Feedback from the conference was correlated and with the help of Lacy White, ChatGPT summarized it nicely.

**May the 4th Be With You Education Day - Conference Summary**

**Overview**

The "May the 4th Be With You" Education Day, held on May 4th, 2024, was a resounding success, gathering professionals from the Medical Device Reprocessing (MDR) field for a full day of insightful presentations and valuable networking. This event provided a platform for attendees to explore relevant topics, gain practical insights, and discuss the latest trends and standards in the industry.

**Key Highlights**

- A significant portion of the attendees were members of the MDR Association of Nova Scotia (MDRANS), reflecting strong community involvement and commitment.

- All sessions were highly relevant, offering applicable insights for attendees to implement in their workplace. Topics such as changes to CSA standards, inspection processes, and leadership were particularly well-received.

- The day was filled with engaging presentations, notably from Sarah B. Cruz, whose session on work ethics and challenging the status quo was highlighted as especially impactful.

- The event featured a Star Wars-themed trivia game, combining fun with learning, which allowed participants to test their knowledge of both Star Wars and MDR specifics, enhancing the interactive experience of the conference.

**Future Sessions**

Participants expressed a keen interest in seeing more practical demonstrations and deeper dives into technological advancements in MDR. There was also a call for more personal insights from medical professionals and enhanced training on new MDR equipment.

**Venue and Organization**

The venue was praised for its excellent facilities that facilitated easy viewing and listening to presentations. Although the food and general organization received high marks, suggestions were made for more diverse food options and better logistical support for finding the venue.

**Conclusion**

The "May the 4th Be With You" Education Day proved to be an enlightening and engaging event for all attendees, filled with actionable insights and excellent networking opportunities. We look forward to further enriching our future conferences with the valuable feedback received and continue to foster a strong and knowledgeable MDR community.

Looking into the future, the MDRANS executive is eagerly planning the fall 2025 biennial conference. We have been visiting potential locations and have more to view. Once a location is confirmed, we will begin to release details so you can start fund raising and making arrangements to attend.

A couple of hints…start thinking about your creation for the MDR fashion show and start working out with your team for the MDR Olympics.

Again, thank you all for sharing in this this day and we hope to see you at future MDRANS education days and conferences.

Pam

May 31/2024

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May the 4th be with you!

The MDRANS executive and Solventum are excited to share that we will be holding an education session on May 4th, 2024. The session will be free to MDRANS members, with a food bank donation and will be 20.00 for non-members. Lunch will be provided. Please find the details below. You can register by emailing: [email protected].

April 5/2024

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CAMDR 2024

Follow the link for details on this exciting educational event!

October 3 – 6, 2024
BMO Centre
Calgary, Alberta

CAMDR ACRDM 2024 – CAMDR

Jan 16/2024

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Dear MDRANS Members

As we approach the joyous holiday season, I want to extend my warmest greetings to each and everyone of you on behalf of the Medical Device Reprocessing Association of Nova Scotia.

As we take a moment and reflect on our accomplishments this past year, having our first conference since 2019 at the Inveraray Inn and then our education session this November in Halifax. The support and collaboration within our association has been the cornerstone of our success.

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to each and every one of you for your dedication to patient safety. Your expertise and drive has been instrumental in elevating our profession.

I am excited about the possibilities of what the coming year holds for us. Let us continue to strive for innovation, learning and continue to lead our profession to new heights.

I wish you and your families a holiday season filled with warmth, love, and happiness. May the new year bring renewed energy, fresh opportunities, and continued success.

Becky White

MDRANS President

Dec 13/2023

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Thank You!

The MDRANS Executive would like to thank everyone who attended Saturday’s education session at the Halifax Infirmary. It was another successful education and networking day.

A very sincere shout out to 3M, especially JF Gairety, Kristin Burns and Sue Smithers for sponsoring the event. Thank you 3M for investing in our profession, we couldn’t do it without you!

To the most amazing speaker Lindsay Brown with Beyond Clean, thank you for sharing today with us. I believe everyone walked away with a new perspective. You made it hit home. You reminded us how important we are to each patient that comes into our hospitals even though they may never know how we contributed to their outcome.

Your message about sitting in the waiting room or any place where patients gather before beginning our shift, was powerful. Imagine the impact if we all did that.

Thank you to Robert Pineo and Peter Krasemann for showing us the potential outcome of not following policies and SOP’s. I never want to be where Peter was today. Thank you Amy Earnshaw-Romans, for bringing it all together and relating it to Quality and Infection Control.

Thank you Barry for sharing your education journey and desire to learn. You challenged us to step up and be the next person interviewed. I hope someone in our audience responds to your challenge. If that is you and you would like an opportunity to have an informal conversation at an upcoming conference, be sure to reach out to us.

Thank you again to all participants for making today a huge success and stay tuned in the new year for details regarding future educational seminars in 2024 and 2025.

Your MDRANS Executive

Nov 20,2023

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Medical Device Reprocessing Week – October 9-13,2023

The month of October brings in Nova Scotia’s beautiful changing leaves, the colours are magnificent, and the air gets a little crisp, aka “sweater weather”.

Also, in October we celebrate the hard work that our Medical Device Reprocessing (MDR) Teams do. This year Medical Device Reprocessing week runs from October 9 – 13. Many sites choose to celebrate other weeks in October, whatever works best for your teams.

Celebrate across the province!

Showcase the role that you play in delivering safe quality patient care!

If not for the MDRT’s (Medical Device Reprocessing Technicians) in our facilities, many procedures and surgeries could not be done. Many people do not realize the behind the scenes work that is done in the MDR.

Some ideas for celebrating with your teams are:

Set up a display for staff, visitors and patients to see.
Provide tours of your MDR.
Have a potluck.
Make signs/posters to bring awareness/highlight the work that you do in MDR.
Play games – MDR Trivia, word search, crosswords, etc.
Arrange a dinner with sales reps, such as a lunch & learn

No matter what you do to celebrate, recognize each other and the work that you do. You play a vital role in patient care.

On behalf of the Medical Device Reprocessing Association of Nova Scotia (MDRANS) Executive I would like to wish each and everyone a “Happy MDR Week”

Sincerely,

Becky White

MDRANS President

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FALL EDUCATION SESSION

FALL-EDUCATION-SESSION Download

MDRANS Newsletter Summer 2023

Hello,

I hope you are enjoying your summer so far and taking time to rest, relax and rejuvenate.

I’d like to introduce your incoming executive:

President Rebecca White

Vice President Bonnie Clarke

Past President Debbie Church

Secretary Lorraine Oxner

Treasurer Sharyn Tanner

Your committee members are:

Education Carrie Rondeau-Fahie

Membership Tiffany Church

Membership Engagement Pam Hunter

We look forward to a busy and exciting 2 years with this executive.

Hoping you all enjoyed your conference experience in Cape Breton if you were in attendance. The conference feedback was extremely positive. The executive has reviewed all responses and will incorporate the feedback into future conferences and education sessions.

September 1^st is quickly approaching and that means that it is time to submit scholarship applications. You can find the scholarship application in the forms tab on this website. Please remember to include all required documentation with your application to ensure the application is not disqualified due to being incomplete.

The required documentation includes:

A brief statement explaining your course of study and why you are applying for the scholarship.
A letter of recommendation from your supervisor or manager.

The successful applicants will be announced in the fall, 2023.

Mark Nov 18^th, 2023 on your calendars and plan to join us in Halifax for a full day of education.

Hope to see you there!

Pam Hunter

Aug 11, 2023

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MDRANS executive meeting highlights

The new MDRANS executive met recently.

In attendance were:

President- Becky White
Vice President – Bonnie Clarke
Past President- Debbie Church
Treasurer- Sharyn Tanner
Secretary- Lorraine Oxner
Education Chair- Carrie Rondeau
Membership- Tiffany Church

Discussions were had regarding:

Current finances
Education day
Conference 2025
Review of feedback from conference 2023

New executive position was created and appointed .

Membership Engagement – Pam Hunter

Provide value in the form of education & information to members between conferences
Create & compile content for distribution to members (quiz’s, links to various websites and webinars)
Provide content to be posted on website & social media
Provide a point of contact for members with any questions regarding MDRANS and bring them back to the appropriate contact on the executive.
Work with everyone on the MDRANS executive

May 30/23

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Conference 2023 was highlighted on the NSH page, follow link to check it out

Medical Device Reprocessing Team members focus on learning and team building at first in-person conference since pandemic | Nova Scotia Health Authority (nshealth.ca)

May 25, 2023

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Elections 2023

Nominations are now closed for the upcoming session. See nominees for each position below. Please make all effort to attend the general meeting on Friday evening, May 12th to participate.

President

Rebecca White

Becky began her career in health care at the Dartmouth General Hospital in 1994. She completed her technician’s course from SAIT in 1998. In 2009 Becky completed the “Leadership Strategies for Healthcare Facilities” course through Purdue University and made the move to the Victoria General Hospital as the Technical Supervisor for the Medical Device Reprocessing Department (MDR).

In 2013, she moved to the MDR at Halifax Infirmary Site, also as the Technical Supervisor. Becky is and has been an active member of Medical Device Reprocessing Association of N.S.(MDRANS) for approximately 27 years. During this time, she has filled various roles on the MDRANS Executive such as Secretary, Treasurer, two consecutive terms as President, as well as Past President. Currently Becky is fulfilling the role of Vice President.

Becky is a member in good standing of the Canadian Association of Medical Device Reprocessing (CAMDR). She has previously sat on the board of Directors as the Secretary in 2018- 2020 and was the Provincial Advisor for Nova Scotia 2014-2018.

In 2017 Becky became a Certified Medical Device Reprocessing Technician.

Becky believes that all Medical Device Reprocessing Technicians should to be continuously learning, as this is a very important aspect of the job. Education, following Canadian Standards and best practices ensures that we are focusing on patient safety, as well as following the most current standards. By being a member of your professional association, this allows you to have the opportunity to attend conferences and network with others in your profession.

Tiffany Church

Tiffany Church, Certified Medical Device Reprocessing Technician – Clinical Educator for Medical Device Reprocessing at Nova Scotia Health.

My journey in Sterile Processing started in October of 2009 as a Casual Technician in training. I completed the Sterile Supply Technician Program with Vancouver Community College in February 2010, and quickly was hired in a full-time position at the Halifax Infirmary. During my 8 years working at the Halifax Infirmary, I took on various leadership roles including Steam Sterilization Resource, Decontamination Resource, Charge Personnel, and Flexible Endoscope/Endo Cavity Probe Superuser and Trainer. I became Certified as an MDR technician (CMDRT) in 2016 with Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group) and Certified in Healthcare Leadership (CHL) IAHCSMM in 2018.

Always looking to take on greater challenges, in 2018 I decided to apply for a Team Lead/Liaison position and was awarded the job at the
Victoria General Hospital. I developed new skills and continued to build my experience. In 2019, I was awarded a new role as Provincial Medical Device Reprocessing Educator for Nova Scotia Health covering 17 different sites across Nova Scotia. I decided to take a break from working inside the hospital in 2021 so I was able to take a leave of absence to help develop a new MDR Technician course at Maritime Business College, here in Nova Scotia. This was a great learning opportunity to grow my skills teaching students in a different way. During that time, I obtained Adult Learning Fundamentals course through Dalhousie University. In March of 2023 it was time to go back to the hospital to the front lines where my passion of Medical Device Reprocessing is at.

I have been a member of MDRANS since 2009, and a member of the executive since 2012 serving 2 terms as secretary, and 2 terms for chair of memberships. I would like to continue to work together with our MDRANS executive team to create great educational opportunities for all Medical Device Reprocessing Technicians in our industry.

Vice President

Bonnie Clarke

I began my career with CDHA in 2008 at the Halifax Infirmary as a Sterile Processing Technician.

In 2012, I moved to the Dartmouth General Hospital, where I worked as a technician and as the Charge person for 6 years.

In 2018, I took the role of MDR Supervisor for Northern Zone. I currently supervise Colchester and Amherst MDR departments.

I have been a resource person, trained new staff; I have served on the Policy & Procedures committee and the Accreditation Team. I completed my Vancouver Community College Technician Course, CSA CMDRT course and the Purdue CSR Leadership course. I enjoy participating in educational opportunities. Including our own MDRANS conferences and education days as well as CAMDR and IAHCSMM conferences.

I have been a member of MDRANS since I started with NSHA in 2008 and have served as the Membership chair and 2 terms as treasurer.

I currently manage the website and social media for MDRANS.

Tiffany Church

Tiffany Church, Certified Medical Device Reprocessing Technician – Clinical Educator for Medical Device Reprocessing at Nova Scotia Health.

Secretary

Lorraine Oxner

Hi, I am Lorraine Oxner, wife, mother of 3, grandmother of 8, active in my church, 4H, care giver to my 95-year-old stepfather, and for the last 27 years a healthcare worker in medical device reprocessing! I love the outdoors, gardening, camping, travelling, music, and crafting.

I came into MDR when it was still CSR (then SPD) as 10% part-time and very soon had a full-time position. I took all the courses I could and was the first to take any technician course in Yarmouth through Vancouver Community College. I got involved in the Union, Occupational Health and Safety, and joined MDRANS. I studied and got my CMDRT, then took the Central Service Leadership course through Purdue University as well as a management course through NSCC. In 2019 I applied for the Supervisor position in Yarmouth MDR and was successful in securing that position.

It has been quite the journey, and the advances I have seen in improvements with quality and safety initiatives have been great! My focus has always been patient and staff safety, along with providing guidance and encouragement to others. MDRANS has been a great help in getting information through connecting with other technicians at conferences, and with scholarships which I was fortunate enough to win a couple of in the past. I would like to support the association and help it to grow and continue to aid our profession develop and be recognized for our contribution to healthcare.

Shelley Bennett

I started my career 21years ago as a relief housekeeper in a department at the IWK.

I became inquisitive of the nature and purpose of medical device reprocessing. It didn’t take long for me to decide I wanted to become a tech . With the guidance of some key role models in my life I took the Purdue central service tech course now known as medical device reprocessing. I’ve had a long career in Mdr starting at the Victoria general hospital and eventually finding my forever home at the IWK …

I am a certified medical device reprocessing technician for 19 years now . I love every aspect of my job . I’m one of the resource persons for woman’s gyne service at the IWK I am also the president of our education committee. I’ve been a member of MDRANS for a while now I’ve attended many MDRANS and CAMDR conferences . I would like the opportunity to expand my knowledge and bring more educational opportunities to my fellow tech.

Treasurer ( Uncontested)

Sharyn Tanner

I began my career with Healthcare in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the IWK Health center in 2006 as a casual unit Aide. Within 2 months, I secured a temporary position with the Gynecological OR which later granted me permanent status. From there I gained experience working in the Emergency Department, Inpatient Units, Clinics, and the Pediatric OR before I moved to the MDRD.

All my past positions awarded me an insight into the needs of the clients we, as MDR Technicians, serve.

Throughout my career I believed in continuing education, and I put that into practice by achieving my CSTT, and later, certification. Then I achieved my CER and most recently, CS Leadership.

In 2021 I transferred from the IWK to NS Health when I accepted a temporary position as Provincial MDR Educator and at the end of that term I began my current role as part of the MDR team in Northern Zone.

Prior to my work with healthcare, for several years, I worked as a Credit Manager for a wholesale distributor in Ontario and a local magazine in Newfoundland. As well, I fulfilled the role as treasurer for my church.

On a personal note, I am the mother of 3 grown children, 2 stepchildren and 1 step-grandchild. I spend my time caring for my husband and 2 adorable Beagle pups who can sometimes make for a very busy household.

April 13/2023

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Conference 2023

We are back! Please find the brochure below and the link to the registration form. When calling to reserve hotel rooms, be sure to mention the MDRANS conference. Please forward any questions to [email protected]. We cannot wait to see you all.