BED BUGS
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…
Cubical and Privacy Curtain Changing
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…
A Note About HCAHPS "Boxes"
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”…
Cleaning Procedures Part 2
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…
Behavior Labeling or The Secret to Winning with HCAHPS
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.…
Goals and Major Objectives
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…
Diversity and Environmental Services
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…
Lose Weight and Exercise
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…
Environmental Cleaning Checklist
In view of the evidence that transmission of many healthcare acquired pathogens (HAPs) is related to contamination of near-patient surfaces and equipment, all hospitals are encouraged to develop programs to optimize the thoroughness of high touch surface…
High Touch Surface Cleaning Targets
In the great work presented in Options for Evaluating Environmental Cleaning, December 2010 by Alice Guh, MD, MPH and Philip Carling, MD, objective monitoring of environmental surfaces was studied and presented as a necessary component of training. In…
Healthcare Reform and Environmental Services
As part of the proposed changes to healthcare, reimbursement for hospital care and post-acute care will be bundled; patient readmission’s will be at a lower rate in some cases; hospital reimbursement and performance will be directly linked; and…
Extreme Leadership
We are currently experiencing economic situations not seen in many years. The times are extreme and uncertain. What does this mean for us in support services departments? Given the current economic environment, we need to develop extreme leadership…