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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.

A well-trained staff is the cornerstone of any Environmental Services Department. Well-developed and polished Shift Leads are even more important to the department’s growth and success. For that reason, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare in Milwaukee, Wis., created a  year-long Leadership Development Program for Shift Leads to sharpen their skills and help elevate the department’s level of service.

EXPLORE spoke with Rock Jensen and Greg May, CHESP, about health care reform and its impact on the EVS professional, including expanded service levels, volumes, the impact on today's hospitals and how this will directly affect EVS departments.

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 AHE 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 AHE and Kimberly-Clark Professional to elevate and celebrate the critical role EVS professionals play in the healthcare environment. AHE 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.

It is widely accepted that environmental contamination plays an important role in the transmission of certain pathogens in the healthcare environment. As such, there has been a revival of interest in the role of environmental surfaces as potential vehicles for the transmission of several healthcare pathogens. This interest underscores the importance of environmental services in infection prevention programs and the crucial need for understanding and implementing evidence-based practices.

It’s true that a great deal of learning is formal. Programs such as online instruction, webinars, and virtual events are formal and over time help learners build skills and knowledge. But informal learning, such as networking, helps build skills and knowledge very quickly.

Leveraging the key engagement driver of the organization’s strategy and mission is paramount. One organization that makes communicating strategy and mission a priority is AtlantiCare, a well-respected network of hospitals and healthcare facilities in southeastern New Jersey.

Treating bed bugs can be a real challenge with dire consequences if the wrong materials and methods are used. While it’s impossible to prevent bed bugs from getting inside your facility, there are many steps you can take to help your healthcare organization keep them from taking over.

Since 2008, the HCAHPS—Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems—survey has allowed valid comparisons across hospitals locally, regionally, and nationally. The core of the survey contains 18 items that ask “how often” or whether patients experienced a critical aspect of hospital care, rather than whether they were “satisfied” with the care. The survey also includes four items to direct patients to relevant questions, three items to adjust for the mix of patients across hospitals, and two items that support Congressionally-mandated reports.