Richard Schule, MBA, BS, FAST, FCS, AAMIF

Richard Schule is the senior director of enterprise reprocessing for the Cleveland Clinic located in Cleveland, Ohio. He is responsible for HLD and sterilization processes and directing programs helping Caregivers achieve best practices for sterile processing and surgical environments. Richard’s career in healthcare began over 39 years ago in the United States Navy as a Hospital Corpsman and Surgical Technologist. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois as well as a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Richard maintains certification as a surgical technologist (CST), central service technician (CRCST), healthcare materials management (CHMMC), instrument specialist (CIS), healthcare leadership (CHL), Advanced GI technical specialist (AGTS), quality improvement associate (ASQ-CQIA), quality auditor (ASQ-CQA), manager of quality/organizational excellence (ASQ-CMQ/OE), and earned his fellowship (FAST) from the Association of Surgical Technologist, a fellowship (FCS) in the central service profession from the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM) as well as a fellow (FAAMI) from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). His Central Service management experience began in 1989 at the Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital in Oceanside, California. He was manager of Materials and Support Services for Akron General Medical Center in Akron, Ohio from 1994-1998. In September 1998 he joined The Cleveland Clinic where he challenged his team of 83 professionals to excel and achieve “HPN’s 2002 CS Department of the Year” as well as becoming the first individual hospital reprocessing department in the United States to become ISO 9001:2000 Certified.