A Chat With Marjorie Wall, EDBA: Human Factors, Innovation, and Collaboration for Safer Patient Outcomes in the SPD

At this year’s AORN Global Conference & Expo, and Leadership Summit, Marjorie Wall, EDBA, CRCST, CIS, CHL, CSSBB, Associate Director of Sterile Processing at Cedars-Sinai, delivered a powerful and engaging presentation titled "Transforming the Sterile Processing Department: Enhancing Safety and Efficiency with Human Factors and Innovation." Her session resonated with perioperative professionals by addressing persistent challenges within sterile processing departments (SPDs) and providing actionable solutions through collaboration and systemic improvement.

Wall began by emphasizing the high-stakes nature of SPD work. With complexity, stress, and little room for error, SPD professionals often operate under immense pressure. Yet many errors stem not from individual negligence but from broader organizational weaknesses—outdated workflows, insufficient training, broken communication systems, and a lack of psychological safety. Her message was clear: rather than assigning blame, institutions must focus on redesigning environments and processes to set SPD professionals up for success.

To that end, Wall categorized her strategy into 4 key pillars: departmental design, education and training, process improvement through methodologies such as Six Sigma, and embracing innovation and technology to reduce error rates. Her approach drew on leading research in psychological safety and human factors in healthcare, bridging academic insights with practical applications.

The presentation also highlighted the importance of bridging cultural divides between operating room (OR) and SPD teams. Wall encouraged perioperative leaders to foster empathy and mutual understanding between departments to dismantle silos and improve communication. By addressing shared goals—like patient safety—these departments can better support one another in preventing errors and delivering reliable care.

Looking ahead to the upcoming Healthcare Sterile Processing Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, from April 27 to 29, 2025, Wall shared her enthusiasm for continuing the conversation. She will be leading a table talk focused on workforce development and looks forward to engaging attendees in solving persistent staffing challenges. She believes in the power of community—collaborating, listening, and learning from peers to advance the field.

“If I can self-promote a little bit at HSPA on Tuesday, they will be doing table talks where different industry leaders will be leading different table conversations,” Wall said. “So, I will be running one of those tables on Tuesday. So I would love for people to pop on by, say hi and talk about how we can start solving some of our workforce issues.”

Her final call to action was rooted in connection: Stop competing, start supporting, and collectively raise the standard of care. Through human-centered leadership and collaborative innovation, sterile processing can be transformed into a resilient, efficient, and safer pillar of perioperative care.

Wall concluded, “[My] words of wisdom: It is challenging out there. It's a challenging field. But if we come together, support each other, learn from each other, and stop competing with each other, we can start changing it and transforming it into a wonderful thing that's really going to impact the industry and impact our patients. Find your new BFFs in the industry at the conference and start talking and collaborating, and let's build a better SPD.”