Rising to Lead: Arlene Bush Steps Into HSPA Presidency With Vision and Heart
In this interview, completed shortly before the HSPA 2025 conference, as she prepared to take the helm as HSPA’s next president, Arlene Bush, CRCST, CER, CIS, SME, DSMD, CRMST, discusses humility, determination, and a bold vision to elevate sterile processing professionals and broaden the association’s impact.
Arlene Bush, CRCST, CER, CIS, SME, DSMD, CRMST, the president of the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA), is no stranger to service or leadership. Bush is preparing to take the helm at HSPA with a message of gratitude, readiness, and purpose. In this interview with Infection Control Today® (ICT®), a few days before the 2025 HSPA Annual Conference and Expo, Bush reflects on the surreal moment of stepping into a role she never imagined yet fully embraces.
“I never thought I would be in this seat,” Bush shared. “But our membership put me here...I couldn’t be more honored.” After years of dedicated service on the council, she now stands poised to lead with a focus on continuing HSPA’s strategic plan and advancing the association’s mission of ensuring patient safety through education and excellence in sterile processing.
Bush is passionate about increasing awareness of the critical role sterile processing professionals play in patient care. “It's really about the importance of what we do, remembering that we really are masters of our craft.” Bush emphasized that fewer than 150,000 people do sterile processing “on this planet.”
Bush’s advice to sterile processing technicians and those who want to be? “Be steadfast in what you do. Ask the question, and don't be afraid to step out and be like, ‘Hey, stop the line. I don't understand this.’” It's beneficial to pause and consider the patient on the other end of the line. Her goal is not only to amplify the profession’s visibility but also to prepare the next generation of leaders.
Looking ahead to 2025, Bush is energized by the momentum she sees within the organization. “I'm looking forward to seeing our association expand. Our certificate holders are rising by the day," Bush told ICT. "I'm looking forward to the momentum of our year, It's 2025, we have so many good things planned this year at the conference that we've done a little differently, but we need to move with the changes, with the world, and as it changes, and that's what I feel like we're doing with the association.”
Her advice for new professionals entering the field is simple yet powerful: Be steadfast, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to speak up. You’re not alone.
With humility, strength, and a deep sense of purpose, Arlene Bush is ready to serve—and to elevate the profession she calls “a labor of love.”
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