People are the most value part of the equation

In the United States, hospitals are in the business of providing healthcare to over 35 million inpatients and performing over 51 million procedures annually. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 5-10% of patients get a hospital-associated infection (HAI) or nosocomial infection during their stay. This staggering statistic shows just how critically important it is that everyone, from hospital executives down to front-line workers, understands the need for a coordinated, multimodal effort in controlling and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. (Darrel Hicks 2/2/16)

Getting a large group of environmental workers to coordinate their daily activity using the same set of best practices is not an easy task. Health Care Management must define each individual and group’s role, provide formal and ongoing training, and coordinate the ongoing work schedule. Equipping the group with easy to use, reliable and robust tools to be effective. The organization needs to measure and track the results including an active continuous improvement plan.

The environmental services personnel cleaning the facilities are on the front-line for infection prevention. Organization like the Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE) offers certification programs to establish best practices and then methods on effective ongoing training.

Darrel Hicks has written an article called: Time to turn Cleaning Staff into Certified Technicians”. Read Full Article 

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This article focuses on the importance of well-trained environmental services staff and how they could be the most cost effective solution to reducing the spread of infection within the health care facility.

UVC Cleaning Systems manufactures the equipment that integrates into the process and procedures of a coordinated infection prevention program; effective products that are simple to operate, safe and extremely reliable 

Equipping the EVS toolbox September 16, 2016

In the past decade, the number of multi-drug resistant pathogens have increased, yet many environmental service professionals methods of cleaning have remained stagnant. EVS professionals are well aware of the risk of

How to save 37,000 lives over five years.

The White House has backed a plan to fight superbugs — via the tracking of infections, faster tests and new drugs — and has asked Congress for $1.2 billion over five years to implement the program. If successful, the CDCs efforts...

Back to School: Outbreaks! August 19, 2016

As students and staff head into back to school season, it’s not just the curriculum that’s on their mind. In the past year, it seems like the number of outbreaks has increased greatly, especially those linked to Norovirus and other dangerous pathogens.

Medicare's Readmission Penalties Hit New High

Medicare measures the readmission rates of seven conditions: heart attacks, heart failure, pneumonia, chronic lung disease, hip and knee replacements and coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Fines are determined by comparing current rates to...

Readmission Penalties Approaching for Skilled Nursing Facilities - August 5, 2016

One of the most challenging transitions a patient will face is being discharged from the hospital and going to a skilled nursing facility. One fifth of the patients discharged from acute care hospitals are sent to one of the nations 15,000 skilled nursing facilities. According to a new report, skilled nursing facilities will need to address the “Protecting Access to Medicare Act” that starts to take effect in 2018.

MRSA: The Fight Continues

The largest epidemic going on inside hospitals and other health care facilities is controlling the infection MRSA. The staph bug causing these infections resists treatment and because it attacks so many people with weakened immune systems, hospital-acquired MRSA accounts for the vast majority of fatal MRSA infections.

Norovirus strikes at the RNC in Cleveland OH

The Ohio department of health was notified on Monday 7/18/16 about the outbreak of Norovirus among staffers at the Republican National Convention. All of those affected are staying at the Kalahari resort in Sandusky, Oh, about 60 miles away from...
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