The task of keeping a hospital running means more than having a top notch medical staff. It takes 321people to assure University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is clean every day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year.
Hospital environmental and guest services staff carry out tasks ranging from vacuuming the carpets in the lobby to cleaning the operating rooms between surgical cases. It is safe to say the hospital could not move forward without environmental staff.
Marty Shafer, Director of UI Hospitals and Clinics Environmental and Guest Services Environmental Services says the staff plays an extremely important function. "We are a 24/7 operation and there is never a time that we don't have some Environmental Service staff in the hospital.
"We are multifaceted operation. From the obvious—cleaning and disinfecting the hospital—to setting up for special functions, to delivering patient supplies and essential hospital documents. The Environmental Services staff provides vital support to the operations of the entire hospital," he says.
The Environmental Service staff deals with high-profile emergencies, such as multi-car accidents like all other clinical departments as part of our disaster respond protocol, but the day-to-day emergencies might also include spill cleanup, STAT patient room cleaning, and retrieving medical equipment from area hospitals or from local airports to be used by our clinical staff.
Shafer says the most noticeable difference between the Environmental Services at UI Hospitals and Clinics and other hospitals is the size of the hospital and the extensive range of specialized services provided in a large tertiary hospital. "The Environmental Service staff needs to be uniquely trained to deal with multi-specialized cleaning tasks while working in extremely cutting edge areas that are a part of a large teaching hospital.
"Our staff is able to see first hand the rewards their duties achieve. In addition to the daily appreciation expressed by the faculty, staff, patients, and visitors, the hospital has an "Above and Beyond the Call of Duty" recognition program and various yearly celebrations. Our Environmental Services Week Celebration is one way we recognize our staff's wonderful accomplishments.
"This week we are planning three celebration events for the three shifts we have at the hospital. The event includes a meal and a short program recognizing the staff for the great job they do every day as Environmental Services professionals here at UI Hospitals and Clinics," Shafer says.
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