At Summit Medical Group Ambulatory Surgery Center in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, one factor that makes the team excellent is “the working relationship and the trust that the physicians and the staff have for one another,” said Kimberly Bujnowski, director of nursing.
The Summit facility is a multi-specialty center with six rooms, three of which are dedicated to endoscopy procedures. “We perform colonoscopies, upper endoscopies and endoscopic ultrasounds,” Bujnowski said. The staff includes seven gastroenterology technicians and eight RNs.
As a part of VillageMD, Summit Health is dedicated to envisioning a world where people “live longer, healthier lives in stronger communities.” The group’s focus is advancing healthcare by providing high-quality, compassionate care that keeps patients’ needs and best interests firmly front and center. “Our team is patient-focused, and the physicians, nurses and technicians work cohesively to ensure the best patient care possible,” Bujnowski said.
As with most top-notch endoscopy centers, excellence doesn’t just happen. At Summit Medical, it starts with education— specifically, the Certified Endoscope Reprocessor certification available through the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association. “The department made the decision to require CER certification for our employees in 2024,” Bujnowski said. “Despite the challenging period, the vast majority have obtained certification as required. By doing this, the staff will be kept up to date on evolving regulatory standards.”
Before an applicant can even be considered for testing, they must first complete three months of hands-on work experience. The hours can be completed on a professional or volunteer basis, but they must include reprocessing endoscopes in a medical center, hospital, surgery center, or independent endoscope center, according to the HSPA. They wrote, “firsthand experience is essential to supplement an individual’s understanding of the necessary knowledge and concepts of reprocessing, and to illustrate their practical use. This experience must include the pre-cleaning, testing, decontaminating, inspecting, disinfecting and/or sterilizing, transporting, and storing of endoscopes.”
The subsequent exam was developed “to measure the un- derstanding of endoscope care and handling and infection prevention,” according to the HSPA. Study materials recom- mended include:
- HSPA’s Endoscope Reprocessing Manual (2nd ed.)
- ANSI/AAMI ST91 (2022 ed.)
- CDC’s Essential Elements of a Reprocessing Program for Flexible Endoscopes (2017 ed.)
- Articles by the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (SGNA): Standard of Infection Prevention in the Gastroenterology Setting (2019), and Standards for Infection Prevention in Reprocessing Flexible Gastrointestinal Endoscopes (2018)
- SGNA’s Guidelines for Use of High-Level Disinfectants & Sterilants in the Gastroenterology Setting (2017 ed.)
Certification doesn’t stop there. Certificate holders must recertify every year by taking continuing education.
And the dedication pays off. Roger Klein, M.D., observed, “The team is so proficient that they are able to anticipate patient and physician needs which helps make the day run smoothly and efficiently.”
The team works hard, but they also take time to recharge by hosting potluck lunches. According to Bujowski, the staff has an off-site dinner on a quarterly basis, and they end the year “with a huge holiday party as we celebrate the conclusion of a fantastic year and the start of an even better one. The staff really enjoys the events and contribute by choosing themes, location and—most importantly—food.”
Hazar Michael, M.D., said, “What makes the team special is that the staff is diligent about their work, and they take pride in and enjoy their work.”
