Va. health system works to improve cleaning protocol uniformity

Sentara used structured interviews to begin developing a consistent cleaning and disinfection protocol


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, 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 systemwide summit resulted in three updated policies: cleaning an occupied patient room, cleaning a discharged patient room and cleaning cubicle curtains. 

Read the full article.

 

 



November 13, 2017


Topic Area: Environmental Services


Recent Posts

Ensuring Successful Capital Project Management

Prioritizing the safety of patients and staff while modernizing critical facilities requires foresight, flexibility and most importantly, communication.


C. auris: A Growing Threat to Healthcare Facilities

Two former patients at UW Medical Center – Northwest tested positive for the drug-resistant fungus C. auris, with one infected and one colonized.


Watsonville Community Hospital Reports Data Security Incident

There was unauthorized access to a limited subset of their network between November 25, 2024, and November 30, 2024.


Why Cyber Readiness Is the New Standard of Care

In a sector in which digital disruptions are inevitable, the real measure of strength is the ability to deliver safe, reliable care no matter what.


Smarter, Faster, Safer: The Rise of AI in Healthcare Security Technologies

Manufacturers discuss how AI, machine learning and real-time analytics are boosting the speed and accuracy of CCTV monitoring and weapons detection.


 
 


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.