Sterilization problems raised alarm inside Penn State Health

Workers in Penn State Health operating rooms raised alarms about safety, sterilization

This story was produced by the State College regional bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom dedicated to investigative and public-service...

Sterilization problems raised alarm inside Penn State Health

Penn State Health struggled to maintain a usable supply of sterile instruments for the thousands of surgeries it performed at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center throughout 2025 and into this year, a Spotlight PA investigation found. Unsterile instruments increase a patient’s risk of infection and death. Internal documents obtained by the newsroom found Penn State Health’s sterilization issues led to harrowing situations. Persistent, mysterious…