A two-hospital health system engaged Impact Advisors after persistent inefficiencies in the Central Sterile Processing Department (CSPD) began disrupting surgical schedules. Processes were not functioning as intended, resulting in instrument availability issues, case-handling delays, and avoidable cancellations—reducing productivity and creating measurable financial risk.
The engagement began with Impact Advisors conducting a comprehensive assessment of operational barriers to identify opportunities for improvement. This included analysis of end-to-end CSPD workflows, instrumentation, and process flow between the two hospitals, and stakeholder alignment across perioperative teams, surgeons, and sterile processing to confirm root causes and prioritize improvements.
A Structured, Clinically Grounded Approach
Based on the assessment, the Impact Advisors team delivered a prioritized roadmap of 137 action items for operational improvement, divided into 14 different subject categories, paired with seven near-term quick wins to deliver immediate results and drive change.
Impact Advisors’ approach focused on:
- Workflow standardization and operational redesign. Impact Advisors redesigned and streamlined CSPD processes to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce turnaround times, and improve instrument availability. The approach emphasized standard work, Lean principles, and better real-time coordination to support consistent case readiness.
- Staffing alignment to the optimized workflow. The Impact Advisors team developed a practical staffing model to support newly optimized processes, ensuring the right skill mix and coverage across shifts. The model emphasized cross-training, schedule adjustments to match peak demand, and strategies to reduce overtime without sacrificing productivity.
- Clear goals, KPIs, and transparent reporting. The performance targets and KPIs defined by Impact Advisors were designed to create accountability and shared visibility—such as instrument turnaround time, case readiness rate, and cancellation reduction. Dashboards and a consistent reporting cadence enabled leaders and frontline teams to track progress, identify bottlenecks, and course-correct quickly.
- Embedded continuous improvement and governance. To sustain gains, the Impact Advisors team established a governance structure and feedback loop to regularly review performance, address emerging challenges, and reinforce best-practice execution over time.
Keys to Success
The Impact Advisors team ensured hospital stakeholders were aligned on clear objectives and operational ownership from the start. This included senior leadership support to ensure resources were available. Barriers were removed quickly, while consistent engagement of CSPD, OR, and hospital leadership broke down silos and reinforced shared accountability. By pairing rapid diagnostics with quick-win implementation, Impact Advisors helped the organization build momentum and achieve immediate value. Establishing a framework for ongoing monitoring and continuous improvement ensured that the gains achieved during the engagement would be maintained long-term.
Positive Impact
Impact Advisors provided the health system with a foundation for meaningful operational and financial value, including improved CSPD efficiency, reduced case delays and cancellations, optimized staffing, and revenue recovery associated with improved surgical throughput and reliability.
Beyond measurable outcomes, Impact Advisors’ work strengthened collaboration across departments, increased trust between leadership and frontline teams, and improved staff confidence through clearer processes and training. Throughout, the Impact Advisors team’s deep clinical knowledge ensured solutions remained aligned with patient safety and quality standards.
This engagement underscores Impact Advisors’ unique ability to combine firsthand clinical expertise with operational excellence to deliver transformative and sustainable results. By working closely with frontline teams, applying data-driven performance management, and translating best clinical practices into daily operations, the Impact Advisors team delivered immediate value while also positioning the health system for lasting improvement and long-term success.