For any healthcare administrator to discount quality results – with documented evidence – and revert to justification based on square footage borders on the unconscionable and very possibly unethical. To ignore your results and measures and revert to staffing levels and budget levels based only on square feet of floor surface will certainly have a…
I consider myself a very progressive person who stays current with the latest technology and methods for cleaning and disinfecting healthcare facilities. I learn and share best practices. I communicate with my peers all over the country and I have more than a few years experience in healthcare cleaning. That said, I am getting more…
I had a great question last Friday… How would you review a housekeeping operation? Here are some of the steps I said would be important in reviewing their existing housekeeping operations or developing new outsourcing initiatives. Two key phases of review include: Analysis Interviews with administration/housekeeping/staff Facility inspection FTE analysis Existing support contracts Departmental policies…
Here is the two step cleaning training video I participated in as a technical consultant. We filmed this video at the new beautiful Mercy Medical Center in Merced California. The purpose of this video is to help Environmental Services staff save lives. We believe it is not enough to simply clean with a disinfectant anymore….
Here are seven *spectacular* ways to make your Monday rock – and I bet they get you off to such a great start the whole week will rock too! 1. Take time to set your mind. A little time in prayer, meditation or just reflecting on all the amazing blessings you have does *marvelous* things…
Sometimes you are not in a position to give your employees more in terms of tangible rewards. Increases in pay or benefits, for example, may not be possible. But there is no limit to the intangible rewards you can give them. These “psychological paychecks” require little effort and cost the company nothing. They represent an…
Don’t start itching, and then check underneath your bed! You see it seems that bedbugs, also known as Cimex Lectularius are showing up in many places. The bloodsucking bugs were virtually eradicated in the United States in the 1950s. But they are now showing up practically everywhere, nursing homes, jails, apartment buildings, dormitories, even hospitals….
I am currently investigating a disposable curtain that does not require a ladder to change. We need a easy way to change curtains much more often then when they look soiled, or every six months. Studies have shown that bacteria can live without the source of a host for months at a time, depending on the bacteria….
HCAHPS results are publicly reported on Hospital Compare as “top-box,” “bottom-box” and “middle-box” scores. The “top-box” is the most positive response to HCAHPS survey questions. The “top-box” response is “Always” for five HCAHPS composites (Communication with Nurses, Communication with Doctors, Responsiveness of Hospital Staff, Pain Management, and Communication about Medicines) and two individual items (Cleanliness…
I wrote some general cleaning procedures back here and several people thanked me and asked for more. So I want to take some time and give you some more general and some specific cleaning procedures, along with some important definitions. I have two ways to explain what I feel clean is. First, the absence of…
I’m closing your hallway door, Mrs. Smith. We always want your room to be as quiet as possible. We always strive to clean your bathroom twice a day. It’s really second nature for us to always make sure you understand your medications. It’s customary for our team to always answer call lights within five minutes….
I wrote about goals a few days ago and one question I received was “what are your department goals for this year? That is a great question because I make it a practice to write out what I call major objectives for the new year each December. These are sort of mid-range goals, not short…
Our profession is so immensely diverse because of the level of talent and professionalism our members bring to the table. Many years ago, various housekeeping departments were just that–housekeeping–but due to the evolution of health care environmental services managers, we have become multifaceted department managers with responsibilities encompassing a wider array of functions. With the…
Lose the weight. I’m not talking about physical weight but dead weight from your department. Deal with staff who negatively affect the department. They “weigh” on time, energy and morale and are preventing the team from achieving excellence. Exercise your role and lead by example. Now that you can move about freely because you cut…