Ohio State Opens First Freestanding Surgical Equipment Sterilizing Facility In Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center opened the first freestanding sterile processing facility in Ohio. The new Central Sterile Supply facility will reprocess and sterilize surgical instrumentation and allocate sterile supplies for Ohio State Wexner Medical Center hospitals and outpatient care centers throughout central Ohio.

Located at 2814 Kenny Road with convenient access to the highway system, the 62,000 square foot facility has the capacity to support the care for more than 48,000 surgical patients per year. This facility will enable best-in-class inventory management and surgical instrumentation reprocessing to support the ongoing growth of surgical services at Ohio State.

“As a leading academic health center, we strive to create breakthrough healthcare solutions that improve lives, which influenced our decision to build this Central Sterile Supply facility,” said Dr. Hal Paz, executive vice president and chancellor for health affairs at The Ohio State University and chief executive officer at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “By creating an efficient and continuous supply of sterilized material, we can continue to lead the way in providing the best and highest quality care to the patients we serve.”

A $45.3 million investment, the Central Sterile Supply building has areas for disinfection, sterilization, preparation, packing and storage of supplies and instruments. An onsite service is available to repair, refurbish and maintain instruments. There are also administrative offices, conference rooms and locker rooms. 

“Built in an environmentally sustainable manner and outfitted with high-end equipment and technology, our new Central Sterile Supply has a best-in-class one-way workflow to prevent cross contamination. It will allow our team to work more efficiently as we elevate the quality of care we provide to patients,” said Kim Jones, director of Central Sterile Supply. “Ohio State is one of the largest academic health centers to implement this innovative freestanding model. It aligns processes and operational standards, and it allows for more efficient use of space within hospitals and outpatient care centers.”

Services launched with Ohio State Wexner Medical Center East Hospital and same day surgery and will expand to other facilities in the coming months. This new operation will eventually support the entire inpatient and outpatient network including the new inpatient hospital when it opens in 2026.

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Media Contact: Serena Smith, Wexner Medical Center Media Relations, Serena.Smith@osumc.edu