reduction in error rate
per hospital SPD
error cost reduction
per SPD per year
annual system-wide saving opportunity
Background
In 2024, Incision partnered with OhioHealth to standardize and support the onboarding and in-service education across 13 hospital Sterile Processing Departments (SPDs). The collaboration centered on implementing a scalable, high-quality training platform to boost confidence and performance among SPD associates, reduce the burden on preceptors and educators, and standardize best practice across the system. Operational goals included minimizing SPD-related delays and reducing error rates, supporting the safe and efficient delivery of reprocessing services system-wide.
This report presents operational findings from two medium-sized OhioHealth hospitals—Mansfield and Marion General—measured nearly one year after implementation. To assess impact, we compared SPD error rates before and after the rollout and integration of the Incision platform into each hospital’s orientation and in-service training programs. Findings are presented alongside system-wide usage data and staff survey results, published in full in the accompanying case report.
Change
Between August 2024 and July 2025, 233 users registered on the Incision platform across 13 OhioHealth facilities. Data-driven implementation, led by local leadership in collaboration with Incision's Customer Success Team, resulted in strong engagement and high levels of usage—with over 80% completing the full 22-course core program.
At Mansfield Hospital, 20 SPD staff are registered as users and have collectively earned over 400 certificates to date, reflecting a 91% completion rate of the core training program. At Marion, 22 SPD staff are registered users, earning 481 certificates, representing a 99% completion rate. The Incision platform is now full embedded as a core component of onboarding and in-service education at both hospitals.
Impact
To quantify impact, SPD error rates from January–June 2024 (pre-implementation) were compared with those from January–June 2025 (post-implementation, after several months of stable platform use). Both hospitals showed substantial reductions: a 42% decrease at Mansfield, and a 36% decrease at Marion—resulting in a weighted average reduction of 39.7%, rounded to 40% for clarity.
Using locality-specific benchmarking data (SpecialtyCare, 2021), the pre-implementation cost of SPD errors was estimated at $1.6 million for Mansfield and $900,000 for Marion, averaging $1.25 million per hospital. Extrapolated across the 13-hospital OhioHealth system, this equates to an estimated $16.3 million annual cost of SPD errors for 2024. A 40% reduction in error rate translates to approximately $500,000 in savings per SPD, releasing a system-wide savings opportunity of just over $6.5 million.
These results reflect a major achievement by both hospitals. They underscore the value of high-quality, structured training in driving fast, cost-effective improvements in SPD outcomes and surgical services. When scaled, the approach offers a powerful strategy to reduce delays, increase patient safety, and improve financial performance across health systems.
