Sentara Healthcare recently initiated a campaign to assess the practices used to clean patient rooms and to determine best practices for environmental services departments, according to an article on the Health Facilities Management website.
Sentara used structured interviews to begin developing a consistent cleaning and disinfection protocol.
The system, headquartered in Norfolk, Va., developed a consistent cleaning and disinfection protocol with structured interviews with questions focused on education and training; logistics, and cleaning of occupied, discharged and isolation rooms.
The interviews uncovered opportunities existed to improve standardization for processes and products across all facilities.
These included education and training for new employees, annual competency and audit requirements; universal checklists and assignment sheets; and elimination of cloth cubicle curtains.
A subsequent system-wide summit resulted in three updated policies: cleaning an occupied patient room, cleaning a discharged patient room and cleaning cubicle curtains.
Why Healthcare Facilities Management Is Critical to Patient Safety 
Brookdale Senior Living Announces Acquisition of the Brookdale Galleria Community
Erlanger Health System Falls Victim to Data Breach
Technological Readiness: The Missing Construction Milestone
From Cooling Towers to Cost Savings: Hospital Seizes Power-Saving Opportunity