Healthcare Central Service Technology
Begin a career in medical equipment and supply chain management as a central service or sterile processing technician. Central service technicians decontaminate and sterilize surgical instrumentation and complex medical equipment, prepare items for surgery, order and maintain hospital supplies, and provide service to hospital departments and patients.
The Healthcare Central Service Technology (HCST) program at Columbia Basin College (CBC) prepares students for an entry-level career in sterile processing and materiel management. Commonly referred to as sterile processing technicians, central service technicians perform decontamination and sterilization procedures required to ensure proper reprocessing of invasive therapeutic and diagnostic equipment, surgical instrumentation and medical supplies. Additional duties include assembly and inspection of surgical instruments, maintenance and delivery of patient equipment, inventory control and supply ordering, and preoperative case preparation.
All students interested in the HCST program are required to attend a free one-hour information session. At the session a counselor or program director will describe the program, the prerequisites, the application process and will answer questions afterwards. Please visit the Information Sessions webpage for upcoming sessions dates and times. Students, friends and family members are welcome and encouraged to attend any of these sessions.