As I reflect on my personal experience at the 2026 HSPA Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD, I can’t help but be in awe of the passion, motivation, and excitement I felt this past week from the incredible professionals in this industry. The energy that surrounded every corner of this event was unlike anything I have been part of, and each year it gets better and better. I watched seasoned professionals receive their fellowship designation, first-time attendees become inspired in ways they never have, and new leaders feel empowered to create change not only in their institution, but in the entire industry! We saw how impactful this work is through an opening story about Immediate Use Steam Sterilization (IUSS) and how it changed the life of a professional soccer player, celebrated each other, and introduced new technology, all while networking and connecting with others across the globe. This conference brings together a group of individuals with one goal like none other, and while the time flew by, it has filled my heart with so much joy and faith. I have a renewed energy to push forward even harder to keep our patients safe and infection-free.
Attending the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA) Annual Conference offers a uniquely valuable opportunity to step outside day-to-day responsibilities and engage directly with the professionals at the heart of safe patient care, the sterile processing and infection prevention teams. The experience goes far beyond traditional education sessions. It creates space for meaningful, real-world conversations about workflow challenges, regulatory pressures, and the realities of maintaining compliance in fast-paced clinical environments. Hearing firsthand where processes break down — particularly around high-level disinfection and manual cleaning — provides critical insight that cannot be gained from guidelines alone.
Equally important is the collaborative energy that comes from bringing together infection preventionists, SPD professionals, and clinical leaders in one place. These interactions foster shared problem-solving and innovation, allowing attendees to exchange practical strategies that can be implemented immediately. Whether discussing survey readiness, interpreting evolving standards, or exploring opportunities to reduce human error through workflow improvements, the conference serves as a catalyst for progress. For many, it reinforces a key truth: improving patient safety is not about a single department or device; it’s about aligning people, processes, and technology to support consistent, reliable outcomes.
First-time attendee Brandon Cook, an SPD supervisor at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, GA, was a little nervous about his first conference. He shared, “I was unsure of what to expect, but I left feeling grateful and truly happy that I had the opportunity to attend. The experience was amazing and gave me a fresh outlook on how important my role is within this incredible field. The conference not only expanded my knowledge but also deepened my passion for the work that I do. Having recently earned my CRCST, I am now motivated to get my CER. Experiences like this remind me why I chose this career path.”
Perhaps only known as the “Old Bay Crab” walking around the exhibit hall, Ebow Holbrook-Smith is well-known in the industry. Ebow’s profound comparison of Baltimore to sterile processing operations sets an inspiring tone for the future. “What happens at the surface in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is supported by unseen systems beneath it. Sterile processing operations are invisible yet carry equally critical consequences when systems break down. The conversations are no longer about ‘how to clean instruments,’ they are about how to manage complexity, variability, and system-level risk.” And speaking of conversations, we all heard many times just how important those between-session conversations and networking opportunities were to those in attendance. It can be said that the most important and impactful parts of the conference take place outside the session walls.
Two leaders from ChristianaCare in Delaware are no strangers to HSPA annual conferences, but had a unique experience this year nonetheless. Dr. Brandon Gantt, SPD Manager of Quality, Training, and Education at ChristianaCare, stated, “I was especially encouraged by the increased focus on leadership development. Too often, sterile processing managers are the subject matter experts in their organization without having a mentor or support system to guide them.” Dr. Kevin Bush, Perioperative Administrative Director at ChristianaCare, spoke on leadership to a full room and told me he values the ability to evaluate new devices and technologies at the annual conference. “It’s great to experience products first hand like the Ethos machine from CS Medical, taking the guesswork from technicians and standardizing cleaning practices for ultrasound probes.”
Gantt also found the in-booth exhibit hall education to be a great way to obtain additional CEUs from the conference. “The expo hall was not only filled with the latest sterile processing innovations, but many vendors also provided continuing education opportunities directly at their booths, creating a dynamic space that blended learning, engagement, and product discovery.”
Preston Rosales, Sterile Processing Supervisor at Abrazo West in Goodyear, AZ, stated, “HSPA 2026 in Baltimore was a ‘crab-solutely’ great time. The ideas were hot, the networking was strong, and the sterile professionals were sharper than a fresh pair of mayo scissors.” With that review, how could you not want to attend next year in Columbus, OH?
