STERIS Corp. Welcomes Richard Schule as New Clinical Education Director

Since its inception, STERIS Corporation has held the belief that providing expert education to healthcare professionals assures the optimal use of new technology and contributes to achieving best healthcare practices for patients. This core strategy will continue to evolve and advance through the leadership of Richard Schule, MBA, BS, CST, FAST, CRCST, CHMMC, FCS, the company’s new director of clinical education.

“Thanks to global economic conditions and new governmental imperatives for healthcare providers, it’s an era of intense accountability for healthcare professionals,” said Tim Chapman, senior vice president and group president of the Healthcare Group at STERIS. “Current knowledge of infection prevention and control practices has become a work requirement for healthcare staffs and enhancing the productivity of both the operating room and the sterile processing department is a primary focus of healthcare institutions everywhere. We are committed to helping our Customers learn what they need to know to optimize their practices and keep up with new technology. Bringing Richard Schule on board is the next step of that commitment.”

“STERIS already has a fine team of educators, all of whom have significant experience in various clinical areas and the desire to help our Customers excel in their practices,” said Schule. “We will strengthen the existing tradition of education excellence with additional programs that provide timely, meaningful education and certification for healthcare professionals.” Schule’s new role includes directing the clinical education team and programs, developing curricula and acquiring certification for new programs, and helping STERIS Customers achieve best practices in sterile processing and surgical environments.

Schule began his healthcare career in the United States Navy. He holds a bachelor of science degree in healthcare management from Southern Illinois University and a master of business administration degree from the University of Phoenix. In 1998 he joined The Cleveland Clinic where he challenged his team of 83 professionals to excel and become the first individual hospital reprocessing department in the United States to be ISO 9001:2000 certified.

Schule has authored numerous articles. He also contributed to text development and review for the Central Service Technical Manual, 7th Edition and the chapter on “Safety in Central Service” in IAHCSMM’s Central Service Technical Manual, 6th Edition. He is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), American Society for Quality (ASQ), Association of Surgical Technologists (AST), and the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM). Schule is very active in IAHCSMM, holding office at the local and national level, and was elected as the 2007-2009 president. IAHCSMM presented him with the Ruth Anne Brooks Past President Award in 1998 and 2000, and more recently the Bertha Yanis Litsky, Ph.D. Educator of the Year Award.

Source: STERIS Corporation