Sterile Processing Technician, Saint Vincent Hospital

highmarkhealth; Erie (Erie County); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Highmark Health in the United States seeks a Sterile Processing Technician responsible for decontaminating, cleaning, assembling, sterilizing, and distributing surgical instruments and equipment. This role ensures compliance with policies and regulatory standards and maintains sterile processing quality.

The position requires a High School diploma or GED, CRCST or CSPDT at hire (or CST/TSC as applicable), and at least 1 year of sterile processing experience.

Qualifications

• Requires CRCST or CSPDT at hire
• Surgical Technologist with CST or TSC meets license requirement
• 1 year of experience with sterile processing
• Incumbents who do not meet requirements have 18 months to obtain them
• HIPAA privacy and company policy compliance required

Responsibilities

• Receive and sort contaminated instruments from departments.
• Disassemble instruments and clean with appropriate agents and equipment.
• Inspect cleaned instruments for cleanliness, function, and damage.
• Assemble instrument sets per count sheets and tray lists.
• Wrap or package instruments for sterilization.
• Monitor sterilization cycles and interpret printouts for proper parameters.
• Follow safety and infection control policies and wear PPE.
• Open and maintain automated washing/decontamination equipment; troubleshoot minor issues.
• Load and operate sterilization equipment; troubleshoot as needed.
• Document sterilization cycles and maintain records.
• Deliver sterile items to requesting departments promptly.
• Maintain a clean and organized work environment.
• Assist in training new employees on procedures and equipment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education

High School/GED

CRCST or CSPDT at hire

CST or TSC meets license requirement

Job description

GENERAL OVERVIEW:

This role is responsible for decontaminating, cleaning, assembling, sterilizing, and distributing surgical instruments and equipment. This role ensures that surgical instrumentation and equipment is properly processed and available for use in procedural and patient care areas, adhering to established policies, procedures, and regulatory standards. This role applies the principles of sterile processing to maintain a safe and effective healthcare environment and ensures quality standards are maintained.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Proficiently receives and sorts contaminated instruments and equipment from various departments. (10%)
• Independently disassembles instruments and cleans them using appropriate cleaning agents and equipment. (10%)
• Thoroughly inspects cleaned instruments for cleanliness, proper function, and damage. (10%)
• Assembles instrument sets according to established count sheets and tray lists. (10%)
• Wraps or packages instruments and sets for sterilization. (10%)
• Independently monitors sterilization cycles and interprets printouts to ensure proper sterilization parameters were met. (10%)
• Follows all safety and infection control policies, procedures, and protocols and uses personal protective equipment (PPE) as required. (10%)
• Opens and maintains automated washing and decontamination equipment. Can troubleshoot minor issues with equipment. (5%)
• Loads and operates appropriate sterilization equipment. Can troubleshoot minor issues as needed. (5%)
• Documents sterilization cycles and maintains accurate records. (5%)
• Delivers sterile items to requesting departments in a timely manner. Can prioritize urgent requests. (5%)
• Maintains a clean and organized work environment. (5%)
• Assists in training new employees on department procedures and equipment. (5%)
• Other duties as assigned or requested.

Q UALIFICATIONS:

• Required
• High School/GED
• Requires Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) or Certified Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician (CSPDT) at hire:
• Certification requirement does not apply to Sterile Processing Technicians who have been employed by a healthcare facility on or before 12/29/2020
• A Surgical Technologist holding an active Certification of Surgical Technologist (CST) or Tech in Surgery Certified (TSC) meets this license requirement
• 1 year of experience with sterile processing
• Incumbents in the role as of 8/24/25 that do not meet the minimum job requirements have 18 months from their original hire date to obtain those qualifications. Any incumbent who has not attained those qualifications within the first 18 months of employment in sterile processing will be moved to another role. No pay changes will be made at that time except to move any employee above the maximum of the new profile to that maximum.
• Disclaimer: The job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this job title. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job.

Compliance Requirement : This job adheres to the ethical and legal standards and behavioral expectations as set forth in the code of business conduct and company policies.

As a component of job responsibilities, employees may have access to covered information, cardholder data, or other confidential customer information that must be protected at all times. In connection with this, all employees must comply with both the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) as described in the Notice of Privacy Practices and Privacy Policies and Procedures as well as all data security guidelines established within the Company's Handbook of Privacy Policies and Practices and Information Security Policy.

Furthermore, it is every employee's responsibility to comply with the company's Code of Business Conduct. This includes but is not limited to adherence to applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations as well as company policies and training requirements.

Highmark Health and its affiliates prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on any category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

California Consumer Privacy Act Employees, Contractors, and Applicants Notice