The Blanchard Valley Hospital Environmental Services department, Findlay, also known as housekeeping, has received the 2012 Environmental Services Department of the Year Runner Up award from Health Forum’s Health Facilities Management magazine and the Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE).

This is the sixth annual Environmental Services Department of the Year competition which recognizes the outstanding achievements of a leading-edge hospital environmental services/housekeeping team in maintaining the highest levels of performance in 13 critical areas including:
Infection control and prevention
Patient safety initiatives
Customer service
Waste reduction and recycling initiatives
Employing advanced technologies to improve efficiency
Staff education/training
Patient satisfaction
Engaging senior management in the department’s success

According to Health Facilities Management, the Blanchard Valley Hospital Environmental Services team achieved impressive results through infection prevention, positive patient scores for cleanliness and working with other departments to decrease patient discharge times. The award is based on performance levels achieved during the 2011 calendar year.

A panel of four judges selected by Health Facilities Management and AHE reviewed this year’s entry applications and selected Blanchard Valley Hospital as the award runner up. Health Facilities Management profiled BVH in its September issue. The article and related story on Blanchard Valley Hospital are posted at www.hfmmagazine.com.

The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics was named this year’s winner. Additional certificates of merit were given to Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania and St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Minnesota.