The healthcare industry is constantly changing and growing, and to keep up, your medical cleaning service needs to constantly innovate and evolve.
With any medical facility, solid HCAHPS scores are a must to meet patient expectations and demonstrate industry competency.
Add to this the fact that medical cleaning presents a number of regulatory issues and unique industry challenges that you simply won’t find with more general cleaning.
If your medical cleaning service doesn’t understand the unique requirements of healthcare cleaning, your HCAHPS scores will suffer.
So how do you find the right healthcare cleaning service for the everyday needs of healthcare facilities, and how do you find a healthcare cleaning partner to help you meet the current challenges of a global pandemic?
Covid-19 Adds Another Layer Of Responsibility
As a facility manager in healthcare, you understand that your facility has particular needs that require more from your medical cleaning company.
A building with high-level needs requires a high-level cleaning service, control and prevention measures, especially now when the stakes have never been higher.
Medical cleaning services always require professionalism, but with the threat of Covid-19, medical disinfection services can provide additional assurance, protection and peace of mind.
Medical disinfection services go beyond typical cleaning to add another layer of quality and control that protects health and safety and limits the spread of disease-causing pathogens.
HCAHPS Scores Matter
The HCAHPS scoring system is stringent and detailed, and not without good reason.
It is designed to protect patients by giving consumers meaningful choices and holding facilities to high standards.
However, with tighter cleaning budgets, meeting all of these requirements can be challenging.
Many Facility Managers turn to cheaper healthcare service providers to compensate, which often further reduces HCAHPS scores instead of improving them.
Pricing will always be a factor, but it should never be the only factor.
Too often, medical cleaning companies lowball bids and fail to follow through with quality service.
There is a major difference between ineffective service at a cheap price and strategic cost control that removes unnecessary tasks while preserving quality.
Does Your Medical Cleaning Service Understand Compliance?
As a medical facility supervisor, you are already aware of the stringent regulatory requirements in your industry.
But is your medical cleaning service equally informed?
A thorough understanding of HIPAA, OSHA and Blood-Borne Pathogens, and other regulatory standards is critical to proper facility cleaning and safe operations.
Your cleaning service should be just as fluent in these regulations as you are.
This knowledge is essential for protecting staff, patients and minimizing liability.
Good People Are Critical To Solid Service
Managing a healthcare facility means the well-being of many people rests in your hands.
You cannot afford to partner with a medical cleaning company that does not take patient safety seriously.
A properly cleaned facility protects patients and staff while communicating professionalism and care to everyone inside.
A clean healthcare environment also helps retain top talent.
Medical professionals do not want to work in dirty facilities.
A strong medical cleaning service impacts nearly every aspect of facility performance.
Medical Cleaning & Medical Disinfection Services That Deliver
In medical cleaning, actions speak louder than words.
Any cleaning company can promise results, but quality providers can demonstrate the systems and processes behind those promises.
Before partnering with a medical cleaning service, ask them to show how their processes translate into real results.
This begins with people.
A service is only as good as the people delivering it.
Medical cleaners must be carefully screened, trained and managed.
At a minimum, this should include background checks, drug testing, employment verification and structured training programs.
Using CIMS To Shorten The List
Finding the right commercial medical cleaning company takes time, but there are tools that help.
One of the most effective is the ISSA’s CIMS certification.
CIMS is an independent, rigorous certification that demonstrates professionalism, responsiveness and adherence to industry best practices.
While not every CIMS-certified company will be the right fit, all CIMS-certified companies are competent, compliant and system-driven.
Using CIMS allows you to start with the strongest candidates rather than sorting through an overcrowded marketplace.
With the ongoing threat of coronavirus, professional medical cleaning and medical disinfection services play a critical role in keeping healthcare facilities safe.
