Since 1978, the Mercy Ships organization has served patients in parts of the world where medical resources are difficult to access. In that time, Mercy Ships doctors, nurses and technicians, all volunteers, have performed more than 100,000 surgeries with their fleet of state-of-the-art floating hospitals.

In this meaningful episode, host Jon Wood speaks with Katie Vaughn-Bates, Sterile Processing Educator at the University of Rochester and recipient of the HSPA Foundation’s Mercy Ships Scholarship. Vaughn-Bates shares her account of living and working as a mission volunteer. She provides insight into the application process and discusses the similarities and differences of sterile processing activities on a vessel. (Spoiler alert: The technical work is much the same; the interactions with surgeons and patients are not.) Listen to hear about life aboard the Africa Mercy and learn how you can help bring hope and healing to those in need.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Katie Vaughn-Bates, Sterile Processing Educator, URMC Ortho Surgical Center

Katie Vaughn-Bates, CRCST, CHL, CIS, CER, has more than 12 years of experience in sterile processing and currently serves as the SP Educator at the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Orthopaedic Surgery Center. She focuses on instrument care, reprocessing and compliance, helping to ensure best practices are followed to support patient safety and positive surgical outcomes.

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