Meet a T-CHEST - Kent L. Miller
February 29, 2016 | Formats: Article | Content Areas: Administration | Tags: Career Development
Kent L. Miller, MHA, CHESP, T-CHEST is Director and Environmental Services/Sustainability Officer at Mercy Health Saint Mary's
What made you sign up for the T-CHEST program?
I wanted to create a career portfolio for my front-line colleagues. Through the CHEST training program I am able to do this. And as an added benefit it will create a more professional environmental services team who are knowledgeable in a lot of aspects that they are responsible for (including customer services, infection control, safety, and emergency management).
How did they get your facility to see the value and approve the cost?
I personally met with both the president and the vice president of human resources. Each of the leaders thought it was of great value and needed in the environmental services field and department. The organization is working on, and I have been personally involved in, a career portfolio working with non-profits in the region. The CHEST program fits right into that initiative.
To you, what’s the most important part of the training program?
The most important aspect of the training is the opportunity for the front-line colleagues to learn the details of their daily responsibilities and why it is important.
How do you think the training will help your staff and organization?
I honestly believe that when we complete the training that our HCAHPS scores will go up, HAIs will continue to drop, and colleague engagement will increase.
As a trainer, what’s the most important thing to keep in mind when delivering the information to your trainees?
The most important thing a trainer should keep in mind when going through the CHEST training program, is to be knowledgeable yourself on all aspects of environmental services. If you are not, you are going to have some difficulties training the front-line colleagues. Equally important is being open to dialogue on what is being discussed. There will be questions that come up, and the trainer needs to be ready for them and be willing to answer them.