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Same old, same old, over and over again. Environmental services leaders are required to train their staff on cleaning procedures, safety topics, and human resources policies. Teaching the same topics year after year gets flat out boring—even for the leaders! Here are some ideas used at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to brighten up the training and get the staff engaged and involved.

There are many elements that go into emergency response plans, and here we’ve outlined some of the main considerations of a plan as it relates to infection prevention and control and environmental services (EVS). It is EVS’ responsibility to ensure that it is able to provide a safe place for patients to be treated and heal—regardless of the conditions outside of the organization’s walls.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

To 91��������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.

In 2012, the Heart of Healthcare Awards was developed as a partnership between 91��������and Kimberly-Clark Professional to elevate and celebrate the critical role EVS professionals play in the healthcare environment. 91��������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.