Addicted to Problems? There’s a Cure.

Not long ago, I spent time with the team in a Sterile Processing Department (SPD) at a large hospital. It was early morning, and the pressure was already building. Instruments were behind schedule, case carts were incomplete, and the OR was calling again.

Everyone was working hard. There was no shortage of effort or expertise. Yet the same issues surfaced every day: missing sets, rework, equipment held up in decontamination, or trays delayed for urgent turnovers.

The manager looked at me and said, “We’re always solving problems, but we never seem to get ahead of them.”

That comment stuck with me. It perfectly described what I’ve seen in many SPD teams and across healthcare more broadly.

We’ve become addicted to problems.

Firefighting has become the norm.

Heroics are expected.

System breakdowns are treated as routine.

What if the issue lies not with the individuals, but with the absence of an effective system?

There is a cure, and it starts with a Daily Management System, supported by Tiered Management.

In this SPD, we helped the team visualize their core processes in real time: instrument availability, turnaround time, and set accuracy. They held short daily huddles, reviewed yesterday’s performance, and prepared for the day ahead. Red flags were identified early and addressed quickly.

Next, we built a tiered structure that connected SPD leaders with OR partners and supply chain teams in daily check-ins. This allowed for coordinated problem-solving and rapid escalation when needed.

The impact?

Fewer last-minute scrambles

Improved instrument availability

A drop in rework

And perhaps most importantly: less stress, more stability

One leader said, “For the first time, I don’t feel like we’re surviving the day. We’re managing it and improving it.”

This isn’t just about SPD. It’s about the system that supports every department. When Daily Management becomes part of the culture, the need for heroics diminishes, and reliability becomes the norm.

Addicted to problems? There’s a cure.

And it starts with giving teams the structure to see, respond, and improve every day. What would your SPD (or OR, or ED…) look like if daily problems didn’t rule the day?

Ready to Break the Cycle?

If you see your team in this story—always busy, always firefighting, yet never getting ahead—ask a deeper question: What system are we working in, and how can it better support our people and our purpose?

At Value Capture, we help healthcare leaders build Daily Management Systems that replace chaos with clarity, firefighting with foresight, and stress with stability. Whether you're starting from scratch or seeking to strengthen what you’ve already begun, our team brings deep expertise in creating operating systems that drive performance and unlock human potential.

You don’t have to stay addicted to problems. Let’s build the operating system that makes excellence your everyday standard.

Contact us directly to start a conversation.