Podcast
First Case Podcast
Hosted by First Case Podcast · EN
Clock in, scrub up, and join us behind the red line. We are First Case – an operating room podcast bringing you exciting interviews, engaging discussions, and innovative solutions that are changing the way patients receive surgical care. Each episode we talk to frontline staff, perioperative leadership, and nursing entrepreneurs from across the country as they share their stories, experience and expertise on an industry we love.
From the back table to the board room, from wheels in to wheels out. -- we tackle the real-life issues affecting the OR. Whether you're tuning in for surgical service education or inspiration, we're glad you're here. And now, it's time to roll back, and start the First Case…
42episodes
Episodes
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Silo-Free Surgery: Are ASC's Really the Wild West?
4d ago00:41:21Tap to summarizeThe pace may be different, but the goal is exactly the same: delivering safe surgical care. In this week's special season co-release episode, we talk with Carlene Smith about what surgical site infection prevention looks like in ambulatory surgery centers. As someone who's worked in Sterile Processing, Infection Prevention, and the OR, Carlene shares her unique perspective on the challenges ASC teams face every day. From balancing limited resources and shared responsibilities to identifying small gaps before they become bigger problems, she discusses how ASC teams can stay proactive while keeping patient safety at the center of every workflow. No matter where surgical care happens, this conversation is a reminder that infection prevention starts with strong teamwork. Make sure to follow First Case and Transmission Control on your favorite podcast app, LinkedIn, and Facebook so you never miss an episode! #FirstCase #TransmissionControl #OperatingRoom #InfectionPrevention #SiloFreeSurgery #SterileProcessing #Collaboration #AmbulatorySurgeryCenter #ASC
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Silo-Free Surgery: Have We Gone Nose Blind?
2w ago00:41:22Tap to summarizeCould the biggest opportunities to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs) be the ones you've stopped noticing? In this week's special season co-release episode, Garrett Hollembeak sits down with Crystal Heishman for a conversation about seeing SSI prevention through a different lens. With experience spanning Infection Prevention, Sterile Processing, and the Operating Room, Crystal shares how stronger collaboration can help teams identify risks before they affect patient safety. She explains why spending time in the OR, asking thoughtful questions, and understanding workflows builds trust, uncovers hidden opportunities for improvement, and helps teams focus on process deviations -- not "gotcha" moments. If stronger collaboration starts with stronger conversations, this episode offers practical ideas you can take back to your next huddle. Make sure to follow First Case and Transmission Control on your favorite podcast app, LinkedIn, and Facebook so you never miss an episode! #FirstCase #TransmissionControl #OperatingRoom #InfectionPrevention #SiloFreeSurgery #SterileProcessing #Collaboration #Trust #ProcessImprovement #Podcast
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Silo-Free Surgery: What SSI Risk Keeps You Up at Night?
3w ago00:35:16Tap to summarizeWhat keeps you up at night when it comes to preventing surgical site infections (SSIs)? In this week's special season co-release episode, Jeremy Gibson-Roark returns to join hosts Garrett Hollembeak and Lindsey Joyce for a conversation about moving from reactive investigations to proactive prevention. Together, they explore why infection prevention plans should be living documents, how stronger collaboration between OR and IP teams uncovers risks before they become problems, and why some of the best ideas come from simply asking frontline teams the right questions. If preventing SSIs starts with working together, this conversation shows how stronger partnerships can lead to safer patient care! If you missed Part 1 of this conversation, tune in here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/firstcase/TC_Ep5_1.mp3 Make sure to follow First Case and Transmission Control on your favorite podcast app, LinkedIn, and Facebook so you never miss an episode! #FirstCase #TransmissionControl #OperatingRoom #InfectionPrevention #SiloFreeSurgery #SSI #Prevention #Education #Podcast
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Silo-Free Surgery: Where Is the Smoking Gun?
4w ago00:36:56Tap to summarizeWhy is it so difficult to trace a surgical site infection (SSI) back to one clear cause? On this special season co-release episode of First Case and Transmission Control, hosts Garrett Hollembeak and Lindsey Joyce are joined by Jeremy Gibson-Roark for an honest conversation about what really happens when an SSI investigation begins. Together, they explore why infection investigations are rarely straightforward, how OR, IP, and SP departments each hold a piece of the puzzle, and why breaking down silos is essential to finding meaningful answers. As the first episode of this special collaborative season, this conversation lays the foundation for understanding SSI reduction as a shared responsibility, not something one department can tackle alone. Tune in today! Make sure to follow First Case and Transmission Control on your favorite podcast app, LinkedIn, and Facebook so you never miss an episode! #FirstCase #TransmissionControl #OperatingRoom #InfectionPrevention #SiloFreeSurgery #SSI #SSIInvestigation #Podcast
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Passing the Mic: Celebrating Melanie Perry's Impact on First Case
Jun 2900:45:53Tap to summarizeEvery great podcast has a voice that brings each conversation to life. Over the past five years, Melanie Perry has been that voice for First Case. In this special release episode of the First Case Podcast, we celebrate Melanie's incredible journey as host, reflecting on the stories, guests, and moments that made this podcast such a valuable resource for the perioperative community. Joined by Justin Poulin and Garrett Hollembeak, Melanie looks back on where it all began, shares what's next in her own journey, and offers a heartfelt thank you to the listeners and colleagues who have been part of it all. As one chapter closes and another begins, join us in celebrating Melanie's lasting impact on First Case and the exciting future ahead for the podcast! #FirstCase #PerioperativeEducation #ThankYouMelanie #Education #Podcast #SpecialRelease
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Season 10 Rewind - Empowering Advocacy: Building Coalitions for Change
Jun 2200:37:50Tap to summarizeSeason 20 launches on July 6th! In the meantime, please enjoy some of our favorite episodes from Season 10 of First Case. "Are you ready for the Time Out?" How many times have you asked or heard that question? In the operating room we perform a Time Out prior to the start of every surgical case. But it wasn't always that way. Joining us today to share how the Time Out process began is Bill Duffy, RN, MJ, CNOR, FAAN, Director for the Nursing and Healthcare Administration Program at Niehoff School of Nursing at Loyola University in Chicago, IL. In today's interview we'll learn how Bill advocated for establishing a Time Out protocol, what motivated him to push for a change, and learn how we can use our voices to advocate for change as well. #operatingroom #surgery #podcast #scrubtech #surgicaltechnologist #advocacy #perioperative #TimeOut
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Season 10 Rewind - Clearing the Air: Advocating for Surgical Smoke Evacuation Legislation
Jun 1500:39:52Tap to summarizeSeason 20 launches on July 6th! In the meantime, please enjoy some of our favorite episodes from Season 10 of First Case. What is so dangerous about surgical smoke? Is it really that bad? Find out all about the very real dangers of surgical smoke in today's interview with Brenda Ulmer, Independent Perioperative Nurse Educator. We'll learn what's lurking in the surgical smoke that we're exposed to every day, how it can affect us and our patients, and we'll hear Brenda's success story of passing legislation in her home state. Don't miss the conversation! Update: Angela Hohn was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2020. She was a longtime OR nurse and her doctor confirmed that her cancer was caused by exposure to surgical smoke. Sadly, she lost her battle with cancer and passed away in January, 2024, after this interview was recorded. #surgicalsmoke #operatingroom #surgery #ornorse #scrubtech #advocacy
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Season 10 Rewind - Empowering Change: A Guide to Advocacy in Healthcare
Jun 800:33:06Tap to summarizeSeason 20 launches on July 6th! In the meantime, please enjoy some of our favorite episodes from Season 10 of First Case. What is advocacy? How can we change practices within our facility and within our state? Joining us today to talk about all things advocacy is Kay Ball, PhD, RN, CNOR, CMLSO, FAAN, adjunct nursing professor at Otterbein University. Kay is a passionate OR nurse and nursing advocate and shares her experience and insight with us to show us how we can advocate for change. Join us as we discover the importance of telling our stories, as we see the impact that our stories can have, and find out the do's and don'ts of advocacy. Don't miss this interview! #operatingroom #surgery #podcast #advocacy #perioperative
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Season 10 Rewind - Empowering Voices: Unleashing Advocacy in Surgical Training
Jun 100:33:20Tap to summarizeSeason 20 launches on July 6th! In the meantime, please enjoy some of our favorite episodes from Season 10 of First Case. How do our training programs teach us to advocate for ourselves and for our patients? In this season premiere of Season 10: Advocacy Unleashed, we sit down with Chris Blevins, CST, FAST, Senior Department Chair of Surgical Technology at South College, in Knoxville, TN. In today's discussion, we'll learn how Chris uses her position as a Surgical Technology educator to teach her students how to find their voices, how to advocate for themselves, and how to advocate for their patients. Don't miss it! #operatingroom #surgery #podcast #scrubtech #surgicaltechnologist #advocacy #perioperative
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Sterile Processing 101: When Things Go Wrong
May 2500:31:26Tap to summarizeEven the best systems have moments when things go wrong. What matters most is how we respond. In the Season 19 finale of Sterile Processing 101, Jen Parrott returns to discuss what happens when things go wrong like wet packs, missing instruments, failed indicators, delays, and breakdowns in the process. This episode is a powerful reminder that solving problems requires more than urgency. It requires communication, accountability, and a culture focused on improvement instead of blame. Because when the OR and SPD work together, setbacks become opportunities to build safer systems for every patient. Don't miss the final episode of Season 19! #operatingroom #ornurse #sterileprocessing #scrubtech
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