Steam sterilization costs: a guide for the central service manager

The Nassau County Medical Center CS department, East Meadow, New York, was faced with a staff layoff and an increased workload. With some hard thinking and strong staff support, new processes/systems were designed to save time and money. These included outsourcing the sterilization of "easy" trays, instituting a case cart program and developing custom packs. In order to determine where savings could be had, it was first important to examine current costs. By breaking the costs of sterilization processing down into an average cost per load, a formula was developed that helped determine many additional cost comparisons for the department. For example, the cost analysis formula could be used by CS departments to determine the cost-effectiveness of off-site sterilization, to compare using disposable vs. reusable items and to determine costs for EtO sterilization and aeration.