San Juan Regional Medical Center earns New Mexico's first DNV sterile certification
San Juan Regional Medical Center became New Mexico's first DNV advanced sterile processing-certified hospital, a rare standard now reached in Farmington.
San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington has become the first healthcare facility in New Mexico and the 19th in the nation to earn DNV’s Advanced Sterile Processing Certification, a distinction tied directly to safer surgeries, cleaner instruments and more reliable care for patients in San Juan County and the Four Corners.
The certification recognizes the hospital’s sterile processing department, where surgical tools are cleaned, sterilized, assembled and prepared for use in procedures. DNV says the advanced certification is meant to validate safe, reliable sterile processing practices that protect patients, improve care outcomes and strengthen hospital operations. It also evaluates the full chain of sterilization work, including workflows, staff competency, equipment maintenance and adherence to evidence-based guidance from AAMI, AORN and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At San Juan Regional, that work now carries a rare national distinction for a community hospital serving northwest New Mexico from 801 W. Maple Street. The hospital said the achievement reflects its long-running commitment to patient safety and high standards across the San Juan River Valley, where families often weigh local care options based on trust, quality and the ability to stay close to home for surgery and other procedures.
San Juan Regional says it is a community-owned, non-profit hospital with roots dating to 1910. It is already DNV-accredited and also promotes other recognitions, including Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI accreditation and a Baby-Friendly designation. The new sterile processing certification adds another layer to that profile, especially for patients who depend on surgery, endoscopy and other procedures that rely on perfectly processed instruments.
Hospital leadership includes President and CEO Jason Rounds, Chief Nursing Executive Alan Vierling and Chief Operating Officer Rachel Skoog. The certification arrives as sterile processing becomes a more visible marker of quality in hospitals, even though it is often hidden from patients. In practice, it affects what happens before a procedure ever begins, from how instruments are tracked and maintained to how consistently staff follow infection-prevention standards.
For a hospital in Farmington that serves the broader Four Corners region, the certification is more than a plaque on the wall. It signals that the facility’s day-to-day surgical preparation has met a national benchmark that remains uncommon, and that the hospital is positioning itself as a local destination for care that families can trust.
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