EVS DIRECTORS OFTEN TURN TO OUTSOURCING FOR ASC SUPPORT By STEVE ZIMMERMAN
There are more than 5,000 ASCs providing procedures, tests and services to millions of patients nationwide. Because ASCs usually have lower operating costs and higher patient satisfaction ratings, hospitals and healthcare systems are investing more in the surgery center concept, either building new facilities or buying existing ASCs.
Patient and visitor traffic in a typical ASC can be brisk, often in the hundreds per day. Each person will touch door handles, chair arms, countertops and restroom fixtures. There are biohazards including bodily fluids and sharps, soiled linens and contaminated surgical instruments. The rooms need disinfecting after every patient, and there is no room for error.
Companies like ServiceMaster Clean have been in the healthcare business for more than 65 years. They provide far more than just extra hands at the clinic, they have expertise that comes with constant training, credentialed leadership and proven protocols.
If you are an EVS director looking for help to meet exacting cleaning and disinfecting needs, make sure you hire a company that meets the following criteria:
• Knowledge – Do they fully understand CMS, CDC and OSHA regulations? • Training – Do the know and teach the science of infection control?
• Communication and reporting – What process do they have for internal quality control and how well do they communicate with management?
• Staffing – How do they fill their own staff openings?
ASCs can create enormous and sometimes additional responsibilities for EVS directors. Outsourcing can be an efficient and cost-effective solution.
COVID, ASCs and HAIs
The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the role of Ambulatory Surgery Centers. ASCs allow patients with chronic conditions or in need of routine procedures (joint problems, coronary blockages, colonoscopies, etc.) to be treated without exposure to COVID-positive patients.
Likewise, COVID awareness has put a greater emphasis on the roles of environmental service directors and service providers. While always important, disinfection is now paramount. EVS teams are the frontline defense against the spread of COVID as well as healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) such as MRSA and C. diff.
The greater reliance on ASCs will likely become part of the American healthcare framework even after the pandemic has ended.
Steve Zimmerman, MBA, CHESP, T-CSCT is Director of Health Care Services for ServiceMaster Clean, one of the nation’s leading providers of professional health care environmental services. He can be reached at
szimmerman@smclean.com.
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