Case Study Published by UMF Corporation Supports Role of Improved Environmental Hygiene in Increasing HCAHPS Scores, Lowering Hospital Infections at Rush-Copley
<0> UMF CorporationKenneth Swoyer, 847-424-1256 </0>
A new UMF Corporation examines the role of improved environmental hygiene in lowering infections and raising HCAHPS Scores at Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora, IL, near Chicago.
The case study, “Improved Environmental Hygiene Lowers Infections and Raises HCAHPS Scores at Rush-Copley,” examines how Environmental Services (ES) leadership at the 210-bed Level II trauma center set out in 2010 to improve patient satisfaction on the important Cleanliness of the Hospital Environment of the federal government’s Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS). And in 2012, the hospital enrolled in the State of Illinois’ Campaign to Eliminate (), of which environmental cleaning and monitoring is a primary element for success.
This two-pronged initiative has helped Rush-Copley to decrease its rates by more than 50 percent, well below the national average. And, the work has resulted in a significant improvement in the hospital’s national HCAHPS percentile ranking for patient satisfaction with room cleanliness, putting Rush-Copley ahead of other local hospitals.
According to the case study, as part of the initiative, ES staff members have been given a role in informing patients and their families of how a thorough cleaning process is protecting them.
According to Elizabeth Sainski, a Sodexo manager responsible for Hospitality and Environmental Services at Rush-Copley, ES staff members are instructed on how to enter the patient room, introduce themselves, let patients know they are there to clean and disinfect, that they will use separate color coded wipers and flat mops for the patient room and the bathroom, and only use them in that room – to prevent the spread of bacteria and eliminate cross-contamination.
The scripting while in the room is very important, Sainski said, because the ES staff member is actively telling the patient how the cleaning is protecting him or her, thereby changing the perception of the cleaning and the sense of room cleanliness.
In 2011, Rush-Copley implemented UMF Corporation’s PerfectCLEAN Hygiene Specialist® program, a rigorous training and education of ES staff, after which participating members are designated as Hygiene Specialists.
The case study, part of UMF Corporation’s Intervention Series, can be downloaded from the company’s website, .
Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora, Illinois, is a 210-bed Level II trauma center, treating more than 70,000 patients in its emergency room each year. Nearly 500 physicians and 2,000 clinical and professional staff members provide advanced cancer, heart, neurology and joint replacement services. The hospital is a member of the Rush System for Health, a not-for-profit academic medical center comprising Rush University Medical Center, Rush University, Rush Oak Park Hospital and Rush Health.
Innovators and specialists in environmental hygiene, UMF Corporation delivers advanced, patented antimicrobial technology with industry-leading PerfectCLEAN® products, education, training, motivation and support. For more than 10 years, the company has been an aggressive advocate of raising standards in the battle to reduce HAIs. The company, headquartered in the Chicago area, is the only U.S. Company that designs, engineers and manufactures high-performance fibers and accessories to help its customers meet tough new challenges in public health and safety.
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