Certified Health Care Environmental Services Technician (CHEST)
The Certified Health Care Environmental Services Technician (CHEST) offers a new certification for environmental services frontline workers. It was established using a comprehensive nationwide job analysis of a health care environmental services technician’s responsibilities and defined focus groups. The program covers all aspects of a frontline worker’s typical tasks and accountabilities. CHEST curriculum was developed by a group of Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) and led by a national curriculum development company. The Train-the-Trainer (TTT) model is employed to maximize facility value – AHE selects a core group of Master Trainers (M-CHEST) to train facility trainers (T-CHEST). T-CHEST then train their facilities environmental services technicians and deliver the written assessment (Exam). Environmental services technicians must pass a written assessment (Exam) to earn the CHEST designation.
This program has the potential to make a positive impact on infection rates, costs, quality of care, patient experience and outcomes.
Over the last few years, environmental services professionals have diligently petitioned AHE for a comprehensive, health care specific, best practice referenced training program for supervisors and the frontline staff they lead.
Through proper care and maintenance of the health care environment, health care environmental services technicians play an essential role in patients’ experience of care, as well as, ensuring patient safety and satisfaction. Today’s health care environmental services teams strive to go beyond cleaning, disinfecting, and caring for the environment. They seek to create clean and quiet healing atmospheres that lead to improved outcomes.
In order to achieve these quality outcomes, health care environmental services technicians must be well-trained and demonstrate competence in a number of key areas.
Pinnacle Sponsors
Thank you to Clorox Health Care, our Pinnacle Sponsor, for underwriting the Certified Health Care Environmental Services Technician Program.
