Sponsored by 
an Essity brand
WINNER: 250-500 beds
JPS Health Network
WINNER: Up to 249 beds
Baycare's St. Joseph's Hospital-North
CERTIFICATE OF MERIT:
Up to 249 beds
Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, Dover, N.H.
JUDGES
Marci Butts, PTA, BHA, CHESP, director of ancillary and support services, Mercy Health
Kent L. Miller, MHA, FAHE, CHESP, T-CHEST, director of environmental services, Mercy Health Saint Mary’s Dover, N.H.
Maintaining clean and safe hospital environments of care is tough work. And in recent years, the work has become more challenging for many environmental services professionals.
Budgets and resources remain tight as hospitals and health systems adapt to evolving reimbursement and operating models. Having to do more with the same or fewer FTEs per square foot of cleanable space is typically the order of the day. Identifying more innovative ways to leverage technology to improve efficiency has become a strategic imperative. And demands to achieve and maintain superior levels of patient satisfaction are at an all-time high.
The Environmental Services Department of the Year competition was created to highlight stellar performance in larger and smaller hospitals alike. Coordinated by the Association for the Healthcare Environment and sponsored by Tork, an Essity brand, this program recognizes department leaders and their teams for all they do to improve safety and quality. Health Facilities Management is the media partner for the award program.
In the pages that follow, you’ll learn how JPS Health Network in Fort Worth, Texas, and BayCare’s St. Joseph’s Hospital–North in Lutz, Fla., achieved significant improvements in performance through teamwork, education and training.
As you’ll learn from our reports, the leaders of these environmental services teams set high standards and foster collaboration among their teams and across their organizations. They celebrate their team members’ successes and have comprehensive systems designed to deliver continuous improvement.
Moreover, these award-winning teams share a common vision of their role inside their organizations and in protecting patients, families and staff through infection-prevention efforts. And, no matter what challenges may lie ahead, that’s worth recognizing.
Amy Eagle is a freelance journalist based in Homewood, Ill., who specializes in health care-related topics. She is a regular contributor to Health Facilities Management.
