Resource Library

Fabrics play an important role in the transmission of bacteria. They have been proven to act as “fomites” – or where organisms can grow and multiply. And, even though soft surfaces constitute a significant portion of the patient’s immediate environment, they are often overlooked in everyday environmental hygiene practices.

EXPLORE spoke with Brian Tallmadge, CHESP, assistant chief, Environmental Management Services, at Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, S.C., about the latest technologies available for EVS professionals.

Given that an HAI can cost a facility up to $45,000, a more comprehensive approach to surface disinfection may be necessary. The adoption of UV surface treatment technology may be a cost-effective intervention.

The future of health care is as clear and certain as the muddy windows you clean after a rainy day. We have certainly heard the doom and gloom, and yet we also hear the promise of improvement. In today’s health care environment, that means change. But, for you, the environmental services (EVS) professional, the future is marked by the necessity of change.

A look at a couple of the most pressing problems confronting our profession in the immediate and the near future.

Part one of this two-part article provides an overview of Legionnaires’ disease, the source of the bacterium in hospital water systems and aerosol vectors of infection. Part two will focus on the important role that a multidiscipline team plays in managing the legionellosis risk.

A well-trained staff is the cornerstone of any Environmental Services Department. Well-developed and polished Shift Leads are even more important to the department’s growth and success. For that reason, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare in Milwaukee, Wis., created a  year-long Leadership Development Program for Shift Leads to sharpen their skills and help elevate the department’s level of service.

EXPLORE spoke with Rock Jensen and Greg May, CHESP, about health care reform and its impact on the EVS professional, including expanded service levels, volumes, the impact on today's hospitals and how this will directly affect EVS departments.

Preventable healthcare-associated infections (pHAIs) are still a major challenge in this country’s healthcare facilities. An aggressive intervention initiative is needed to address this problem as rapidly and completely as possible. Further, there’s never been a stronger and more well-defined need for the role of Environmental Services (EVS) as the First Line of Defense in this initiative. And there are successes that bear this out.

Good isn’t good enough anymore. In today’s competitive healthcare environment, excellence will be the expectation not the exception. From meeting HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) standards for room cleanliness and quietness to lowering operating expenses as part of a Lean initiative, environmental services departments are facing significant challenges.

EXPLORE spoke with Candace Thompson, CHESP, and Lea Beach, CHESP, about infection control, their department’s working relationships with Infection Preventionists (IPs), the latest challenges, how they empower their staff, and best practices for hand-washing and PPE compliance.

Kelly A. Reynolds, PhD, presents on the 2013 trends in environmental hygiene, including magnitude of HAIs, primary pathogens, fomite contamination, pathogen tracking, mitigation strategies, and new UA research on soft surface sanitizer efficacy.

Pamela Jett gives a presentation on expanding your influence in today's health care environment.

To AHE members at the EXCHANGE 2012 conference, Laurie Leon, director of materials management at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, highlighted that 90 percent of hospitals could not readily pull together cost and weight data for their waste streams. This reality can lead to financial pressure.

The OSHA Hazard Communication (HazCom) Standard has been significantly revised for the first time since it came about in the 1980s. Those changes in the “Right-to-Know” Standard, as HazCom is commonly called, have brought in the use of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) to identify and communicate chemical hazards.

There are many benefits to Green Cleaning, and these benefits have become more apparent in recent years as a result of documentation and scientific evidence.

The abuse of prescription drugs, particularly controlled substances regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as “drugs of abuse,” has reached epidemic proportions, exceeding that of traditional illicit drugs in all cases except marijuana. Congress passed the Safe and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010 that amends the Controlled Substances Act to enable additional methods for the management and disposal of unwanted consumer-controlled substances.

Ruth Carrico and Timothy Wiemken give a presentation on assessing your facility's risk for Clostridium Difficile.

Three panelists discuss the factors that make a great environmental services department.

In 2012, the Heart of Healthcare Awards was developed as a partnership between AHE and Kimberly-Clark Professional to elevate and celebrate the critical role EVS professionals play in the healthcare environment. AHE and Kimberly-Clark Professional are continuing their partnership to provide EVS professionals and technicians with recognition and outward appreciation, while providing the necessary tools for continued education and training.