achieve results that rival or
surpass many of the auto-
mated devices."
"Clean" isn't always
microbially clean
Smaller facilities with fewer
resources may not be able to
afford large housekeeping
staffs, but they can and should
prioritize having at least 1 or 2
certified hygiene specialists
who understand that a room can look and smell very clean, and may
even be documented as clean, but that doesn't necessarily mean it
meets the high standards that true environmental services profession-
als recognize. The bottom line is that "clean" doesn't mean microbially
clean.
We all know that infection rates are alarming. We've seen in the liter-
ature how expensive they can be — often resulting in 5- or even 6-fig-
ure costs. And it's important that we continue the fight on multiple
fronts — hand hygiene, smart use of antibiotics, UV rays, hydrogen
peroxide and so on. But it's also crucial to remember that environ-
mental services is the first line of defense, one that should always
have a respected place at the table for infection control and infection
prevention.
OSM
Dr. Rohde (rrohde@txstate.edu) is professor and chair of clinical laboratory
science at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, and the associate
dean for research in the College of Health Professions. He is also the president
of the Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science.
Infection Prevention
IP
1 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6
Environmental
services is not being
recognized as the
incredibly important
patient safety
initiative it is.
