Magazine & Journal Articles

Magazine & Journal Articles / en Tue, 22 Oct 2024 17:01:54 -0500 Mon, 20 May 19 15:04:33 -0500 91��CHESP Extended Review Workshop /ahe-chesp-extended-review-workshop <h1>CHESP Extended Review Workshop</h1><hr>CHESP is a premier credential designation demonstrating mastery of maintaining the environment of care. Based on a sound assessment that provides distinction among health care environmental services professionals, CHESPs demonstrate advanced knowledge in the areas of: regulatory compliance, design and construction, environmental sanitation operations, waste management operations, textile management operations, finance, and administration.Some of the benefits of certification include industry recognition, job mobility, and employment opportunities along with increased earning power. According to a recent survey on management compensation, environmental services managers earn nearly 25% more annually with a CHESP than without it.&nbsp;This full day course offers extended math review and additional time for Q&amp;A. &nbsp;Next Session: <a href="/education-events/chesp-summer-2020-extended-review-session-chicago-il">91��Annual Conference Precon Event</a> <a href="/education-events/chesp-summer-2020-extended-review-session-chicago-il">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;August 2&nbsp;in Chicago, IL</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; Mon, 20 May 2019 15:04:33 -0500 Magazine & Journal Articles UVC 101: Communication Strategy /uvc-101-communication-strategy <h4>By Cathy Campbell, Director of Program Management, Tru-D SmartUVC, LLC</h4> December 17th, 2018&nbsp;|&nbsp;Formats:&nbsp;Article&nbsp;|&nbsp;Content Areas:&nbsp;Administration&nbsp;|&nbsp;Tags: Communication, Infection Prevention and Epidemiology <hr /> Tru-D SmartUVC understands the importance of building a communication strategy for the implementation and the successful management of a UVC enhanced disinfection program. When initiating the implementation process, Tru-D’s first priority is to pull together strategic partners within our hospital partner organization to discuss common behaviors that occur when dispatching transfer and discharge cleaning within the facility. Understanding the flow of information that is disseminated to key departments is essential to understanding where gaps may occur. These gaps impact effective responses as isolation discharges are dispatched, thus impacting patient throughput and room turnover time. During these initial and critical conversations with stakeholders, we find common gaps in communication that can be solved with collaborative strategies for a heightened awareness around dispatching of isolation discharges. Although facility Operation Managers will finalize standard operating procedures for enhanced disinfection protocols, the best practices in this document are recommended for communication strategies when our clients implement Tru-D to disinfect contact and contact enteric rooms. &nbsp; <a class="btn btn-primary btn-sm" href="http://www.magnetmail.net/forms/verify_web_form.cfm?fid=%25%22%20C%5CC%218%20%0A&amp;rtype=%254U%2A%40TDH%20%0A&amp;uid=%25%3F%276%2FX%214%20%0A" role="button">Non-Member Access</a> Mon, 17 Dec 2018 11:55:04 -0600 Magazine & Journal Articles UV Disinfection /uv-disinfection <h4>By John Scherberger, FAHE, CHESP</h4> December 17th, 2018&nbsp;|&nbsp;Formats:&nbsp;Article&nbsp;|&nbsp;Content Areas:&nbsp;Administration&nbsp;|&nbsp;Tags:&nbsp;Environmental hygiene and sanitation, Infection Prevention and Epidemiology <hr /> The answers regarding UV disinfection are not simple. Like most tools when used properly and&nbsp;limitations understood, a UV system can add value, safety and more thorough disinfection than when a UV system is not used. UV disinfection is part of a multimodal process but one must ask the right questions and carefully evaluate the peer-reviewed evidence about actual infection rate reductions in order to select the right system. As you begin your journey in search of the ideal system that will yield the ultimate result – bringing down your facility’s infection rates and enhancing the safety of patients and hospital workers – consider the issues and questions in this article to help you guide your decision-making. &nbsp; <a class="btn btn-primary btn-sm" href="http://www.magnetmail.net/forms/verify_web_form.cfm?fid=%25%22%20C%5CC%210%20%0A&amp;rtype=%254U%2A%40TDH%20%0A&amp;uid=%25%3F%276%2FX%214%20%0A" role="button">Non-Member Access</a> Mon, 17 Dec 2018 11:37:09 -0600 Magazine & Journal Articles Infection Control - Zeroing in on infection prevention and control /infection-control-zeroing-infection-prevention-and-control April 11, 2017&nbsp;|&nbsp;Formats:&nbsp;Article&nbsp;|&nbsp;Content Areas:&nbsp;Environmental Sanitation Operations&nbsp;|&nbsp;Tags:&nbsp;Infection Prevention and Epidemiology Tue, 11 Apr 2017 11:32:45 -0500 Magazine & Journal Articles What are Healthcare Restrooms Telling Us? /what-are-healthcare-restrooms-telling-us <h4>By Mitch Birchfield</h4>September 29, 2016&nbsp;|&nbsp;Formats:&nbsp;Article&nbsp;|&nbsp;Content Areas:&nbsp;Environmental Sanitation Operations&nbsp;|&nbsp;Tags:&nbsp;Chemicals , Environmental hygiene and sanitation, Infection Prevention and Epidemiology, Process Improvement<hr>Public or common area health care restrooms need to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected for user health (due to infection potential on high-touch surfaces) and use touch-less technologies to limit the number of touch point variables and to maximize the effectiveness of cleaning and disinfecting. But they also should be specifically identified and targeted for clean tests and routinely disinfected using supplemental UV light technologies.Hospital restrooms’ high-touch areas (HTOs) include doorknobs, sink and toilet handles, the toilet seat, handrails, commodes, paper and soap dispensers. Although restroom floors are not hightouch surfaces, they are prone to gross contamination from such things as urine, dirt, and excessive moisture.Touch-free devices don’t mean that fixtures are not touched; in fact, sensors on faucets and dispensers don’t always activate properly—this means that faucets heads, spigots, and stainless steel including sensors may be contaminated. Additional problems occur with automation; sensors are placed so that flushing occurs much more often than it should or when no one is around. Improperly loaded paper towel dispensers can also be a source of great consternation. Environmental service staffs are rarely asked for their opinions on restroom design features.For environmental services staffs, cleaning and disinfecting restrooms is overall considered to be one of the toughest areas for service staff to maintain, and paper supply products for dispensers can represent up to 25 percent of an environmental services department budget.Why focus on public or common restrooms versus patient restrooms?The sheer volume of uses in public health care restrooms means that surfaces and fixtures can be contaminated, clean and then re- contaminated throughout the day.Whoever uses the public/common area restroom can contaminate up to seven of the restroom’s high-touch points. which, if not cleaned (and disinfected), can pass an infection to the next user.Three considerations for cleaning and servicing health care public restrooms:<ol><li>Technology Is Simply a Tool to Make Decisions: First is the understanding that restroom technology is a convenience for the users. It isn’t a panacea for making bathrooms cleaner, and logs and indicator tags such as the Awarepoint can be used to alert service staff that bathrooms need attention, and how often certain bathrooms are calling out or alerting us may mean that greater frequencies are needed to service the restrooms, or that the dispensers may be undersized, restrooms vandalized, or paper products removed or stolen.</li><li>Ramp Up to Using Sporicidal Disinfectants: For years, health care facilities have used quaternary disinfectants as “approved disinfectants” vetted by environmental services and infection control professionals as being sufficient to kill most potential infectious materials on surfaces and also safe for surfaces. But the increasing incidence of bacterial and viral infections such as C. diff, MRSA and norovirus has made health care professionals re-assess their cleaning chemical programs.</li><li>Use Resources Wisely—Restroom Service Logs versus Testing and UVing: Do restroom logs offer assurances that restrooms are well maintained and cleaned? Or are they primarily a customer visual satisfaction tool? In large health care facilities, high volume public restrooms can number over 100, making it a challenge to keep the communications (initial cleanings) current. Additionally, the log becomes of little value if, after cleaning, a customer forgets to flush the toilet, fills up the trash or sanitary napkin container, or throws paper (toilet or towels) on the floor. In those circumstances, as a Harris poll indicated, customers would view the restroom as dirty; 90, 89, and 80 percent respectively.</li></ol>A better approach may be to test health care restroom surfaces for cleanliness more&nbsp;regularly, such as using an ATP meter ,and have a routine to use expensive UV devices (beyond patient rooms) to supplement disinfectant efforts, especially considering the number of high-touch surfaces, multiple touches, and other less likely touch areas… such as under dispensers.So What Exactly Are Health Care Restrooms Telling Us?It’s one thing if the restaurant or gas station garage isn’t clean, but quite another if a restroom in a health care facility is out of order—not clean, no paper, etc.When health care organizations recognize that it takes a combination of approaches to keep their restrooms clean, they can then build upon an effective strategy to maintain restrooms at a service level that not only meets the expectations of users but also helps to protect their health.Hospital Restroom Touch Point to Touch List Grid List:<img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/HospitalRestroomListGrid_0.png" data-entity-uuid="4877096f-d3dd-492b-a637-2ae2520b5e58" data-entity-type="file" alt="Hospital Restroom Touch Point to Touch List Grid List" width="521" height="230" class="align-left">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/AHEQ/AHEQ0316/index.php?startid=7#/24">http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/AHEQ/AHEQ0316/index.php?startid=7#/24</a> Thu, 29 Sep 2016 15:02:57 -0500 Magazine & Journal Articles We ARE Environmental Services /we-are-environmental-services-article <h2>By Patti Costello, Executive Director of the Association for the Health Care Environment</h2>September 29, 2016&nbsp;|&nbsp;Formats:&nbsp;Article&nbsp;|&nbsp;Content Areas:&nbsp;Administration&nbsp;|&nbsp;Tags:&nbsp;Career Development, Communication, Employee Engagement, Employee life cycle , Environmental hygiene and sanitation, Leadership, Management, Succession Planning<hr>Last year at the EXCHANGE conference, I challenged attendees, 91��members, sponsors and vendors to make a change in the naming convention for health care cleaning. 91��believes this change will have a profound impact on the profession. I asked everyone in the room to commit to or continue the commitment to referring to their department as environmental services; and to identify the personnel caring for the health care environment as environmental services technicians rather than housekeepers, janitors and custodians. Since that time, we have launched a pledge campaign on&nbsp;<a href="ahe.org">ahe.org</a> providing the professionals an opportunity to formally pledge their commitment to environmental services versus other titles. We have been asked why more than once. We have heard comments such as, “It’s been this way for years and changing it will just be too hard to do.” The current naming convention using titles such as housekeeping, janitor or custodian are non-descriptive titles when referring to the staff and management teams responsible for maintaining the clinical environment of care. The knowledge base and competencies needed to perform the health care duties of any environmental services team member regardless of their being front-line or management are far more complex than those needed in the commercial cleaning and general maintenance industry. For example:<ul><li>Janitors are cleaning professionals who maintain commercial building properties and business offices.</li><li>Custodians typically maintain educational facilities such as schools, colleges and universities or churches.</li><li>Housekeepers are domestic workers or employees cleaning in the hospitality arena such as in hotels and resorts.</li></ul>These are noble professions with their own unique concerns, challenges and significant contributions; but health care environmental services professionals care for a highly complex, regulated environment where sick people want and need a care environment conducive to recovery and wellness. That very environment plays a key role in customer/patient satisfaction and quality outcomes throughout a patients’ continuum of care. Simply put, health care environmental services contributes to saving lives every day. This is a critical distinction because the requisite knowledge needed to provide a safe, clean clinical environment extends from the emergency room to the surgical suite and everything in between. Leadership and front-line technicians in health care environmental services requires knowledge of infection prevention, basic microbiology, evidence-based cleaning and disinfection practice, handling multiple waste streams, floor care, linen handling and distribution, and consistency in performance. Possessing the knowledge and understanding of how and why the environment plays a role in disease transmission can and will impact the overall patient experience. Think about it for just a moment. What are the chances that a custodian, janitor or housekeeper needs to know about clostridium difficile spores or about proper handling of Category A waste?Don’t get me wrong; our colleagues in the commercial cleaning industry have unique challenges of their own. We are not diminishing the importance of the professionals in that space. What we are saying is, health care is vastly different. It’s much more complex, with a lot of movement and interconnectedness where a great deal&nbsp;of coordination is required. The potential for disease transmission must be eliminated, and it requires a much wider knowledge base acquired through ongoing training, education, certification and continuing education. Hundreds of research studies have been conducted over the last eight to ten years just on health care cleaning and surface disinfection. The evidence supports the notion that improved cleaning leads to improved patient outcomes and lower infection rates. That level of responsibility and getting to the desired outcomes is more complicated. Health care environmental services is part of a care team&nbsp;that needs us to be on top of our game all day, every day.We know a large majority of health care organizations have already moved from housekeeping to environmental services. Military contracting is changing from housekeeping to environmental services. Surveyors are being trained to identify technicians as&nbsp;technicians and not housekeepers. There are other organizations in the process of educating their clinical staff as well as patients and families of the impending change and explaining why the change is being made. Then there are others that have pushed back, saying that the length of stay is so short that re-educating the patients and staff doesn’t make sense. We respectfully disagree. As awful as it may sound, just by virtue of perception, the words housekeeper, janitor, custodian are not job descriptors widely associated with needing a wide body of knowledge, technical skills or core competencies.I ask that you humor me for just a moment. As a young person thinking about your future and investigating a preferred profession, did you say to yourself, “Gee, I want to go to college to be a housekeeping manager in a hospital or resident care facility?” I don’t think so. Most of you backed into the job through internships, summer jobs or transferring from other departments. Others made the transition from hotel management and soon found themselves on the internet looking for help because the roles are vastly different. We know it’s true, because those new to health care call 91��all the time asking for help, and we are most happy to oblige.The health care environmental services profession will be recognized as a true profession and not just a calling to serve or because you love working with people. College courses and degreed coursework will be available to students looking for a choice between hospitality and health care. So, yes, 91��is building the future of the profession. But we are talking about the present. We are talking about changing perceptions of internal and external customers. We are talking about changing the way even the patients view our work. Yes, perception is reality. Yes, change is hard and requires reeducation. But the game changer in communication is explaining WHY you are making the change.Why? Because the environment the patient care is being provided in is so vital to their well-being that it’s important enough for us to view it as more than housekeeping. We care enough to care about what others think we are doing versus what we ARE doing. We interact with caregivers, clinicians, and family members. We often spend more time in a patient room than anyone else. The work we do can save lives. The work we do has impact.So today, we’d like to ask you to help 91��keep moving&nbsp;forward in taking vital steps in shaping professional practice. We ask you to help 91��transform how the broader health care teams recognize&nbsp;environmental services professionals and their teams… but more importantly how environmental services view themselves. We are asking YOU to be thought leaders and change agents in moving the profession forward. We are asking you to advocate and represent our profession with passion. Join 91��in an ongoing effort to encourage health care environmental services professionals to “take the pledge” to redefine the role of the profession.Take Action Today!<ul><li>Define the contribution of environmental services teams to the overall quality of care and outcomes.</li><li>Eliminate the use of titles such as housekeeper, janitor, and custodian in the hopes of better defining the areas of expertise.</li><li>Become the best advocate for the profession when seated at the table in organizational policy changes or other critical discussions about patient satisfaction, infection prevention and positive outcomes.</li><li>Advocate for continued education and professional development support to align the job with the requisite competencies needed. You can arm yourself by visiting http://www.ahe.org/ahe/CHEST</li><li>If being a key member of the care team is important to you, and it should be, we encourage you to take the pledge today!&nbsp;</li></ul>Thank you for the work you do, for inspiring me and for keeping my fire burning for environmental services! Thu, 29 Sep 2016 14:16:49 -0500 Magazine & Journal Articles The F91��Journey /fahe-journey <h4>By John Scherberger, BS, FAHE, CHESP, REH</h4> September 29, 2016&nbsp;|&nbsp;Formats:&nbsp;Article&nbsp;|&nbsp;Content Areas:&nbsp;Administration&nbsp;|&nbsp;Tags:&nbsp;Career Development, Employee life cycle , Leadership, Management <hr /> A Journey, Not a Destination I have worked for and been awarded the distinguished title of Fellow of the 91��(FAHE). The plaque states that I have “successfully fulfilled the requirements for the Actions for Professional Excellence program and [am] hereby privileged to be a Fellow of the Association for the Healthcare Environment of the 91��.” This is a true honor and, for me, a great responsibility. “Job well done.” “Pat yourself on the back.” “You’ve arrived at the pinnacle of your career.” Absolutely, I can’t go any higher, I’ve arrived. Right! With well-intended accolades such as those and if I start believing such bravado, I won’t be at the pinnacle for long; I’ll be falling off into the void of self-aggrandizement and insignificance and irrelevance. Because a professional never truly arrives and must never take oneself too seriously or one will begin to believe the praises and delude oneself. Environmental services is a profession in which one never knows everything because technology, infection prevention, processes, and research are always advancing. Just as physicians continue to “practice” medicine and attorneys continue to “practice” law, environmental services professionals must continue to “practice” their profession. They, I, must continue on the journey of education, discovery, research, teaching, training sharing, helping and service. It is my belief that being a Fellow of the 91��is another step in my life-long journey of being a servant. So What Is a “Fellow”? There are so many synonyms for the word “fellow” that it would be difficult to pin a precise definition to the word as used by the AHA and the AHE. For our purpose, a Fellow is a person who has the actions for professional excellence. So, what are those actions? First of all, the requirements are precise and exacting: <ul> <li>The applicant must be a member of 91��in good standing and hold a CHESP.</li> <li>The applicant must maintain five years of continuous membership.</li> <li>There must be no lapse in CHESP for the past two years.</li> <li>The applicant must present proof of publication of articles.</li> <li>The applicant must provide proof of participation in national and local 91��or other applicable professional activities participation as faculty in AHE/AHA or other national and local seminars.</li> <li>They must pass a series of examinations.</li> <li>There must be a nomination by two existing fellows who know the applicant professionally.</li> <li>There must be evidence of continued formal training, post-qualification.</li> <li>There must be evidence of substantial achievement in the subject area.</li> <li>The applicant must submit a research based thesis, which will be examined. So there you have it. Not impossible, but not easy either.</li> </ul> Why Did I Apply to Be a Fellow of the AHE? Quite simply, because I value the 91��and all that it has accomplished for its members, the AHA, the environmental services profession, the healthcare patients they affect and what it has meant to me. I look upon the Fellow designation as another way to give back to an organization that has helped me to become a better person, a better professional, and a person who is not afraid to expand my comfort boundaries. I believe that by becoming a Fellow, I can better myself, better help those I serve, better the AHE, and have a positive impact on every opportunity I take in my chosen career and endeavors I take upon myself and for others. I found that the designation, and for me profession of a Certified Healthcare Environmental Services Professional (CHESP), has been a great asset in successfully conducting my responsibilities and duties of the current Board President of the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC). So if the CHESP requirements have been helpful, surely the F91��study and designation will help me in helping others. And in a way it has. Reaching for and applying for F91��recognition has spoken to me in a very simple way: My boundaries are of my own making. I can put them up, I can take them down—it’s my choice. Everyone can do the same. I can only advise that we not let others limit us. Many years ago, the AHA and the 91��decided that a professional designation was in order to recognize those in the healthcare environmental services arena. Thus, the CHESP was established. A few years ago, questions were asked by CHESP recipients: “Is this the highest goal we can attain? Is this all&nbsp;there is?” This was in no way to denigrate the CHESP designation. Environmental services professionals recognized that there is much more to learn, to do, to address, to research in their profession. They realized that they can never stop striving to further their professional credentials; not for themselves, but for those they serve. If we don’t better ourselves, how can we better serve those who trust us to care for them? Believe me, when a person enters a hospital and becomes a “patient” (in Latin, the word is pati, to suffer or one who suffers) she or he is often put into a position of helplessness, dread, despair, brokenness and hopelessness. If an environmental services professional is truly doing her or his job and training her or his staff properly (cleaning and disinfecting notwithstanding), the patients find themselves in an environment of hope, courage, interest, wholeness, and hopefulness. That is one aspect of professional excellence the 91��is striving for. It is what I believe a F91��is supposed to be striving for: patient empowerment and quality patient outcomes. Isn’t the F91��Just Environmental Services? The simple answer is: “Yes.” A review of the requirement is clearly on healthcare environmental services. But, and this is, to me, a big one: Part of the scoring rubric includes active involvement in healthcare committees, joint activity with another hospital or healthcare organization, and activities and community involvement activities. In other words, a wellrounded involvement and knowledge of the healthcare “environment” and the community in which one serves. An 91��Fellow is going to be involved, a leader, a communicator, one who can collaborate successfully with a wide variety of professionals, one who is an asset in more than one area of the healthcare environment, and one who thinks outside of his or her own box and boundaries. My career in environmental services has taken me on many journeys and many discoveries, and I’m not talking of traveling. I have&nbsp;learned who I am, what makes others so special in their life and chosen profession. I have had the opportunity to sit and listen to patients and their loved ones. I’ve also had opportunities to listen and really get to know what is important in the lives of staff and peers. Why did I want to work toward being a Fellow of the AHE? Because I want to help others. I want to help environmental services professionals get their mindset into the C-suite and boardroom. I want to help others see that being an environmental services professional is a noble and honorable profession that should be aspired to and grabbed hold of with pride, determination, and honor. The 91��has worked some miracles in the last 25+ years of its existence, and the establishment of the Fellow program is another miracle in itself. I wanted to grab hold of that miracle and be a part of it. I want to continue to contribute to the success of the 91��and help enable everyone who has the desire and ability to succeed and empower and train another generation of professionals in the healthcare environment. The AHA has supported this opportunity, and I wanted to support it, too. I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself. And I am. “Do not become weary in serving, for&nbsp;at the proper time you will reap a harvest if you do not give up.” John Scherberger, BS, FAHE, CHESP, REH, is President, Board of Directors, Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council. &nbsp; <a href="http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/AHEQ/AHEQ0316/index.php?startid=7#/28">http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/AHEQ/AHEQ0316/index.php?startid=7#/28</a> Thu, 29 Sep 2016 13:52:03 -0500 Magazine & Journal Articles Meet a T-CHEST - Scott Thornton /meet-t-chest-scott-thornton <h1>Meet a T-CHEST - Scott Thornton</h1> September 29, 2016&nbsp;|&nbsp;Formats:&nbsp;Article&nbsp;|&nbsp;Content Areas:&nbsp;Administration&nbsp;|&nbsp;Tags:&nbsp;Career Development <hr /> What made you sign up for the T-CHEST program? Our organization, Professional Contract Services Inc. (PCSI), has a mission to employ people with disabilities in many work environments, including healthcare environmental services. We strive to lead the industry in all aspects of environmental services while providing a wonderful work environment for our team members. The CHEST program fits into both components. It provides a comprehensive educational curriculum of industry best practices, and it increases job satisfaction, quality outcomes and employee engagement. How did you get your facility to see the value and approve the cost? PCSI’s operations team identified team member education as a major focus in our strategic plan. The financial investment we made in educating our team through the CHEST program is a testament to our organization’s ambition to be an industry leader.&nbsp;Environmental services departments across the country have many challenges: high turnover, rework, decreasing staff levels, etc. PCSI chose to allocate funds for this program after we provided our finance team with a strategic plan for rolling out the training and an explanation of how it will reduce rework and overall cost. To you, what’s the most important part of the training program? The most important part of the training program is showing your team that the organization they work for is committed to their growth and development. This comprehensive program articulates and connects the WHY behind the everyday actions of environmental healthcare service workers. How do you think the training will help your staff and organization? When you see the face of a team member light up when they receive their certification, you know that you are helping both&nbsp;the facility and your team. PCSI’s first wave of training focused on our quality control team, supervisors, leads, trainers and high performers. Our goal was to provide a family at each jobsite to foster the educational growth of each current and new team member. From an organizational level, we will provide better patient outcomes because our team will have a deeper connection to the purpose of each task. The CHEST program will also assist PCSI with our succession development. Allowing the next group of leaders to complete the certification will ensure we have team members ready to move into our operational leadership jobs. As a trainer, what’s the most important thing to keep in mind when delivering the info to your trainees? I have learned a great deal about delivering educational material from the T-CHEST program. Do not move too fast through the material; allow each point to resonate with the learner. Most team members have an awareness of all the items being presented; your job as an educator is to ensure they have a complete understanding. Create an environment that allows for discussion, and let the discussion play out between the participants. Allow your team to come to the conclusion rather than supplying it for them. Have fun and bring food! <a href="http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/AHEQ/AHEQ0316/index.php?startid=7#/26 ">http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/AHEQ/AHEQ0316/index.php?startid=7#/26&nbsp;</a> <ul> </ul> Thu, 29 Sep 2016 13:38:27 -0500 Magazine & Journal Articles Healthcare Field Rises to Challenge as Environment Changes /healthcare-field-rises-challenge-environment-changes <h4>By Sheryl S. Jackson</h4> September 29, 2016&nbsp;|&nbsp;Formats:&nbsp;Article&nbsp;|&nbsp;Content Areas:&nbsp;Administration, Environmental Sanitation Operations&nbsp;|&nbsp;Tags:&nbsp;Environmental hygiene and sanitation, Leadership, Patient Experience of Care, Population Health Management <hr /> There is no doubt that the healthcare field looks very different today than it did 50 years ago. Back then, lengthy hospital stays, care coordinated primarily by physicians, lack of respect for patient involvement, and a focus on treating illness versus preventing them, were the norm. A combination of cultural changes, policy adjustments, the price of care and&nbsp;technological advances has led to changes that reflect the need for cost-effective care that includes a more patient-empowered approach that prioritizes prevention. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Triple Aim—better care, better health and lower costs—has guided the development of many initiatives to improve healthcare. The more recently defined Quadruple Aim expands upon the Triple Aim by acknowledging the&nbsp;importance of healthcare workers’ role in improving healthcare and identifies workforce engagement and employee safety as critical components of achieving the original three goals of the Triple Aim. “As the healthcare environment continues to shift, we are redefining the role of hospitals, as well as the role of the association supporting our hospitals,” says Maryjane A. Wurth, executive vice president for the 91��. (AHA) and president and CEO of the Health Forum, AHA’s subsidiary offering media, education and data solutions. “Although it is important that health organizations have widely adopted the Triple and Quadruple Aim, the world is changing, and AHA members have a vision of healthy communities.” There are five elements that support the vision of healthy communities, says Wurth. <ul> <li>The individual is at the center of health and their interaction—acting not just as a patient, but as a full partner with health providers.</li> <li>Every individual has access to affordable, equitable health services, including behavioral health and social services.</li> <li>The individual receives the best care that adds value to life.</li> <li>There is a focus on wellness in partnership with public organizations and individuals.&nbsp;</li> <li>Seamless care coordination is provided by utilizing technology and real-time data, innovation and team-based care.</li> </ul> “Our country is large and diverse, so there are several different models of care, with each recognizing the specific needs of the communities the healthcare organization serves,” says Wurth. She points out that regardless of the type of healthcare model—hospital, health system or health organization—future success requires a focus on: <ul> <li>Being a trusted partner and leader in the community</li> <li>Striving toward the vision to advance health in America</li> <li>Benefiting the community beyond the four walls of the hospital</li> <li>Creating new models of care and service in partnership with others</li> </ul> Value-based care is a significant change for healthcare, says Wurth. “Hospitals are focused on providing value versus volume as the payers move away from fee for service to value-based care,” she says. “No matter what size, location or model of service is used by a healthcare organization, no one can afford to sit still.” She identifies five significant changes with seismic, game-changing challenges: Consumerism Health organizations must think of patients as consumers and provide&nbsp;customer-centered care that is user-friendly and customer service-oriented, says Wurth. Holistic focus on health Healthcare providers can no longer focus on treating illnesses and symptoms, but must treat the “whole” person, points out Wurth. To achieve the goals of reducing costs, improving value and making healthcare affordable, prevention plays a critical role in today’s environment. “This approach requires a holistic strategy that includes behavioral, physical and mental care to address all factors that contribute to an individual’s wellness.” High reliability with zero harm Although patient safety is a key responsibility for clinical personnel, environmental services staff are also integral to a patient’s safety, Wurth points out. Environmental services helps ensure a safe environment by staying up to date on best practices to protect patients.&nbsp; Chronic care management According to the Administration on Aging, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the older population—persons 65 years or older— numbered 46.2 million in 2014 and represented 14.5 percent of the U.S. population. The percentage of people 65 years or older is expected to grow to 21.7 percent of the population by 2040. People are living longer due to advances in medical care, and this presents the challenge to better manage chronic conditions to ensure quality of life, says Wurth. “New models of care coordination with an emphasis on interdisciplinary care enable health&nbsp;providers to manage chronic conditions.” Payment for value The switch from fee-for-service to value-based care payments has led to new care models that provide affordable&nbsp;care that is focused on outcomes versus services, Wurth points out. “Hospitals strive to provide the right care at the right time in the right place with the right outcome at the right cost.” An emphasis on outcome-based, value-based care has led to many new models of care, including the development of accountable care organizations (ACOs) that integrate services and provision of care vertically and share risks throughout every level of the organization—from physician office to inpatient hospital services. Integration, whether through a formal ACO or other form of organizational structure that enables care coordination, leads to better outcomes and better value for patients and providers, adds Wurth. “One challenge that health organizations will continue to face in upcoming years is care for vulnerable communities—specifically rural and inner city areas,” says Wurth. Finding ways to implement best practices developed by other organizations while working with fewer resources is imperative to achieving the healthy community vision but is also difficult, she adds. In spite of the challenges the healthcare field faces, Wurth is positive about the future of the field, the 91�� and its personal member groups such as the Association for the Healthcare Environment. “Consumers want a partner in their pursuit of health. Hospitals are responding with new services that engage consumers, promote wellness and safety, and provide accessible, affordable healthcare,” she says. &nbsp; <a href="http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/AHEQ/AHEQ0316/index.php?startid=7#/18">http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/AHEQ/AHEQ0316/index.php?startid=7#/18</a> Thu, 29 Sep 2016 12:22:47 -0500 Magazine & Journal Articles Preparing for a Chemical or Biological Emergency /preparing-chemical-or-biological-emergency <h1>Preparing for a Chemical or Biological Emergency</h1> <h4>By Sheryl S. Jackson</h4> May 29, 2016&nbsp;|&nbsp;Formats:&nbsp;Article&nbsp;|&nbsp;Content Areas:&nbsp;Administration&nbsp;|&nbsp;Tags:&nbsp;Communication, Disaster/Outbreak Preparedness, Management <hr /> While chemical or biological incidents might not be among the top three hazards identified by hospitals in their emergency preparedness plans, environmental services professionals should be aware of the special preparation needed for chemical or biological events. “In any event, the environmental services department is part of the facility emergency response team to identify current inventory and location of personal protection equipment (PPE) as well as decontamination supplies and tools, and coordinate the purchase of additional items needed,” says Greg May, CHESP, system director of environmental services and linen service at Swedish Medical Centers in Seattle. While serving as environmental services director at her previous facility, Lisa Ford,&nbsp;BS, CHESP, district manager for Sodexo, was an integral member of the hospital’s emergency preparedness planning committee. “The 100-page plan included detailed descriptions of each department’s scope of responsibility before, during and after an emergency,” she explains. “As director of environmental services, I was responsible for purchasing and maintaining the inventory of emergency supplies — everything from cots to respirators to traffic cones and a decontamination tent.” Hospitals are required to have local, immediate access to 48 to 72 hours of supplies and equipment to handle an emergency, which gives time for state and federal agency assistance to arrive, explains May. “Most hospitals should have a cache of PPE and other supplies onsite for significant events, and at my hospital, my department has its own smaller cache that we can access for small events,” he says. “We also have a supply of HEPA [high&nbsp;efficiency particulate arresting] vacuums and filters for my staff that can be used in specific situations.” Although it is critical to have supplies on hand, there are some items or some quantities that cannot be stored onsite. In these situations, be sure to have a memo of understanding with suppliers that will enable shipment of additional supplies in the event of a larger than expected patient exposure, suggests Ford. Agreements with other specialty vendors may also be necessary for items that will only be needed in specific events. “For example, in my previous position, I had an agreement with a company to provide a refrigerated trailer for use as a morgue if needed,” she says. “Other suppliers agreed to deliver specific amounts of items such as masks and gowns, if needed. Remember, too, that some supplies, such as hand sanitizers, have expiration dates so they can’t be purchased and stored indefinitely — be sure suppliers are available to deliver them.” When establishing agreements, include suppliers outside your local area&nbsp;or suppliers with national resources, suggests May. “In the case of a catastrophic event in one area, local supplies may disappear quickly, so your suppliers need the ability to pull from other areas of the region or country.” Don’t forget to contract with a company to handle waste created by decontamination, suggests May. “Once you decontaminate patients exposed to hazardous materials, you have water that must be disposed of properly. Hospitals are responsible for the waste recovered, so you must make sure the containment, removal, transport and disposal are handled according to Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.” However, even if a third-party provider is handling the actual disposal process, the hospital environmental services staff must have the equipment on hand to contain the water and be able to move it to a collection area for pickup. “You will have 55-gallon barrels of water to move, so employees will need carts or other equipment to enable movement,” says May. With 500 environmental services employees, May is able to train about 50 people to handle emergencies and schedule them so that a team of people who have undergone proper training and practiced techniques through drills is on duty for all three shifts, seven days a week. “It’s not practical to train the full staff, but focusing on a smaller emergency response team who have the knowledge to handle situations is important,” he explains. Finally, remember that purchasing emergency supplies is not a one-and-done event. “Be sure to perform a routine inspection and inventory of all emergency supplies,” says May. “My department serves as the spill response team so we do have a variety of absorbents for different types of spills.” Employees don’t always document use of a small amount. “The same thing happens with HEPA filters for our vacuums — they are ‘borrowed’ and not returned to their original location and filters are used. The only way to make sure you are prepared is to be sure your inventory is accurate.” <a href="http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/AHEQ/AHEQ0216/index.php?startid=6#/14">http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/AHEQ/AHEQ0216/index.php?startid=6#/14</a> Sun, 29 May 2016 15:40:28 -0500 Magazine & Journal Articles