She Found Happiness in a Job She Never Heard of
Michelle Garcia was working in a factory when a friend told her about a job opening in the sterile processing department (SPD) at Martin Memorial Hospital (now Martin North). “I didn’t know such a job even existed,” she says.
But the skills needed were similar to what she was doing in the factory — attention to detail and quality control — so she decided to apply. She never dreamed it would become her career spanning more than 35 years. She started as an instrument tech in 1987 at Cleveland Clinic Martin Health.
Since then, Garcia has worked at different locations and in several positions — leading to her current position as SPD Manager. And when Tradition Hospital opened in 2013, Garcia and her years of experience were essential to ensuring the new hospital’s SPD Department was set up and running smoothly.
Quality, not quantity
SPD is responsible for cleaning, disinfecting and sterilizing instruments for various hospital departments. Garcia and her team decontaminate instruments, inspect them for cleanliness and functionality, organize them into trays, and sterilize them.
At Tradition, they process around 130 trays each day. In January, they processed almost 5,000 instruments. And although the work can be fast-paced and stressful, Garcia says, “It’s about quality, not quantity. Because patient safety is our number one goal. If we don’t do our job properly, a patient could get an infection, could get burned or could get harmed in some way.”
SPD has come a long way since she started. Thirty years ago, Garcia says the job was considered “almost like a glorified dishwasher.” But sterile processing has evolved over the years, and instruments and equipment have become more challenging to clean and process.
Garcia says people may be surprised to know how much knowledge is needed for the job. Her team members need to understand proper cleaning and sterilization techniques for a variety of instruments. They need to know how those instruments come apart and go back together. They need to know how their sterilization equipment works and how to ensure their machines are functioning properly. “The amount of knowledge really is incredible,” she says.
Rolling your sleeves up
Garcia currently manages a team of nine caregivers, and she says she loves helping caregivers grow in their careers. “About 13 years ago, I hired two young caregivers right out of high school. They both went through the SPD program offered at a local college,” she says. Today, Sarai Hernandez Robledo is the SPD Manager at Cleveland Clinic Martin South, and Skylar Resendiz is a scrub tech/Neuro specialist at Tradition.
As a manager, Garcia prefers to lead by example. “You need to get out, roll your sleeves up and work alongside your caregivers. You also need to give your caregivers respect. Listen to their needs and follow through on what they’re asking for.”
Outside of work, Garcia has another team to lead — three children and 11 grandchildren. Two of her children also work for Cleveland Clinic. “My grandkids and I enjoy doing anything outdoors,” she says, “We like hiking, going to the beach, plus baking and cooking together.” She also tries to make it to as many of their functions as she can, including volleyball, basketball, wrestling, recitals and concerts. “They keep me busy!” she says.
Michelle Garcia was working in a factory when a friend told her about a job opening in the sterile processing department (SPD) at Martin Memorial Hospital (now Martin North). “I didn’t know such a job even existed,” she says.
But the skills needed were similar to what she was doing in the factory — attention to detail and quality control — so she decided to apply. She never dreamed it would become her career spanning more than 35 years. She started as an instrument tech in 1987 at Cleveland Clinic Martin Health.
Since then, Garcia has worked at different locations and in several positions — leading to her current position as SPD Manager. And when Tradition Hospital opened in 2013, Garcia and her years of experience were essential to ensuring the new hospital’s SPD Department was set up and running smoothly.
Quality, not quantity
SPD is responsible for cleaning, disinfecting and sterilizing instruments for various hospital departments. Garcia and her team decontaminate instruments, inspect them for cleanliness and functionality, organize them into trays, and sterilize them.
At Tradition, they process around 130 trays each day. In January, they processed almost 5,000 instruments. And although the work can be fast-paced and stressful, Garcia says, “It’s about quality, not quantity. Because patient safety is our number one goal. If we don’t do our job properly, a patient could get an infection, could get burned or could get harmed in some way.”
SPD has come a long way since she started. Thirty years ago, Garcia says the job was considered “almost like a glorified dishwasher.” But sterile processing has evolved over the years, and instruments and equipment have become more challenging to clean and process.
Garcia says people may be surprised to know how much knowledge is needed for the job. Her team members need to understand proper cleaning and sterilization techniques for a variety of instruments. They need to know how those instruments come apart and go back together. They need to know how their sterilization equipment works and how to ensure their machines are functioning properly. “The amount of knowledge really is incredible,” she says.
Rolling your sleeves up
Garcia currently manages a team of nine caregivers, and she says she loves helping caregivers grow in their careers. “About 13 years ago, I hired two young caregivers right out of high school. They both went through the SPD program offered at a local college,” she says. Today, Sarai Hernandez Robledo is the SPD Manager at Cleveland Clinic Martin South, and Skylar Resendiz is a scrub tech/Neuro specialist at Tradition.
As a manager, Garcia prefers to lead by example. “You need to get out, roll your sleeves up and work alongside your caregivers. You also need to give your caregivers respect. Listen to their needs and follow through on what they’re asking for.”
Outside of work, Garcia has another team to lead — three children and 11 grandchildren. Two of her children also work for Cleveland Clinic. “My grandkids and I enjoy doing anything outdoors,” she says, “We like hiking, going to the beach, plus baking and cooking together.” She also tries to make it to as many of their functions as she can, including volleyball, basketball, wrestling, recitals and concerts. “They keep me busy!” she says.
