As leaders in the central service, sterile processing profession, the American Society for Healthcare Central Service Professionals' mission is to provide education, networking, recognition, membership advocacy and professional practices to promote innovative ideas toward the future direction and growth of the profession. At its conference in San Antonio, TX, in October, ASHCSP delivered on its promise to the profession. Participants enjoyed activities and offerings in all of these areas, and had a great time to boot.

ASHCSP's 35th Annual Conference, titled "ASHCSP: Meeting the Challenge, Advancing the Profession," profiled some of the hottest topics and big names in the central service/sterile processing industry.

The conference attracted the best attendance in years. Participants traveled from across the country and abroad for a combination of educational enrichment and social and networking activities. The conference opened with a day-long symposium on the reuse of single-use devices sponsored by the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors. The forum featured Dr. William Rutala, professor for the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina's School of Medicine, who addressed issues and regulations surrounding third-party reprocessing from the hospital perspective. Other symposium topics included: An Overview of Reprocessing: Regulatory, Safety and Economic Issues, which covered the historical roots of reprocessing, the debate over the subject, the FDA's role and new regulatory framework, as well as implications for patients and the healthcare system as a whole; How Third-Parties Comply with FDA's Requirements; and Designing and Implementing an SUD Program and Third-Party Selection.