Resource Library

92 Results Found

Magazine & Journal Articles
“Can a robot clean a hospital room just as well as a human?” Let’s look at a few facts by dissecting the question and answering some questions of our own.
Magazine & Journal Articles
Given the amount of time that environmental services technicians spend with the patients they serve on a daily basis, the utilization of a facility-wide TeamSTEPPS® program can actively engage staff members across all disciplines with the overarching goal of improving quality and safety, the patient experience, and also reducing associated health care costs.
Advisory
As a follow-up to a health update entitled HAN 00382 and distributed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on September 11, 2015, the CDC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are providing this update to rescind the following recommendation.
Magazine & Journal Articles
As more and more research unfolds regarding preventing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), it is very apparent that cleanliness is as critical to a hospital’s successful operation as any clinical function that takes place within the health care institution.
Magazine & Journal Articles
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that one out of every 25 hospitalized patients will contract a health-care-associated infection (HAI). Each year HAIs are a documented source of increased mortality and morbidity, significant costs for care delivery, and have a negative impact on the patient experience.
Advisory
Two very important updates regarding CRE and Shigella sonnei outbreak investigations.
Press Releases
The Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE) announces a new certification that will set performance and knowledge criteria for environmental services technicians and provide the means to ensure frontline employees are thoroughly prepared for service in healthcare.
Magazine & Journal Articles
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released updated Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Hospitalized Patients with Known or Suspected Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever in U.S. Hospitals. Standard, contact, and droplet precautions are recommended for any patients with known or suspected Ebola hemorrhagic fever.
Magazine & Journal Articles
Laundry processing of health care linens has experienced a significant shift. From the management of self-operated onsite laundry operations to the use of outsourced external central laundries, hospitals are evaluating the cost efficiencies of both in-house and outsourced processes. To do this, they must weigh the value of each while keeping the balance of effective textile care processing as the key fulcrum point in making their decision.
Magazine & Journal Articles
Each year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over 722,000 hospitalized patients contract a healthcare associated infection (HAI), resulting in over 75,000 deaths. In September 2013, the CDC released new evidence of emergent antimicrobial resistance threats and categorized them into categories of urgency.
Magazine & Journal Articles
In a time of great change for health care – particularly in EVS – we need to stay one step ahead by knowing the answers to the questions we’ll be asked, understanding how to track and maintain productivity and efficiencies all while providing the best atmosphere and experience for our patients, visitors and staff. Utilizing technology to leverage and maximize staff time and skills sets will help.
Magazine & Journal Articles
Part one of this two-part article provided an overview of Legionnaires’ disease, the source of the bacterium in hospital water systems and aerosol vectors of infection. Part two focuses on the important role that a multidiscipline team plays in managing the legionellosis risk.
Magazine & Journal Articles
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.
Magazine & Journal Articles
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.
Magazine & Journal Articles
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.
Magazine & Journal Articles
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.
Magazine & Journal Articles
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.
Magazine & Journal Articles
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.
Magazine & Journal Articles
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.
Presentation Resource
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.