Focus: Environmental Services

Unsanitary conditions at Calif VA Center linked to rise in infections

Office of Inspector General report faults lack of environmental servicestraining


A new federal report says Department of Veterans Affairs officials failed to provide housekeeping staff at the VA Medical Center in Loma Linda, Calif., with adequate training, possibly contributing to an increase in potentially deadly infections at the facility, according to an article on The Sun website.

 “Responsiveness to environment-of-care concerns is a shared responsibility between leadership, service chiefs and staff,” according to Kristen Hall, spokeswoman for the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System.

“Daily huddles between leadership and staff have resulted in a more rapid response to environment-of-care needs.”

Inspectors found that the medical center was not clean, its furnishings were in need of repair, and its Environmental Management Services Department did not have standard operating procedures for cleaning and sanitizing the facility.

Read the article.



June 27, 2019


Topic Area: Environmental Services


Recent Posts

Mature Dry Surface Biofilm Presents a Problem for Candida Auris

Multiple methods are described in the literature, but no consensus has been reached for disinfection efficacy tests against biofilms.


Sutter Health's Arden Care Center Officially Opens

With an adaptive reuse of an underutilized office building, the 70,000 square-foot facility was renovated to meet current healthcare standards.


Insight Hospital and Medical Center Falls to Data Breach

The investigation determined that an unauthorized individual accessed the network between August 22, 2025, and September 11, 2025.


The High Cost of Healthcare Violence

As workplace violence increases, healthcare facilities face mounting financial and operational disruptions- prompting legislative action.


EVS Teams Can Improve Patient Experience in Emergency Departments

A report confirmed that cleanliness of the ED was the third most impactful element on patient experience surveys.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 
 
 
 

Healthcare Facilities Today membership includes free email newsletters from our facility-industry brands.

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Posts

Copyright © 2023 TradePress. All rights reserved.