Detail Cleaning can Build Teamwork – By Naida Grunden
Bringing a hospital environment from clean to super-clean creates a number of advantages: some of them are obvious, others are more subtle. According to Michael T. Kennedy, Regional Manager for a New England-based hospital cleaning service, one unexpected result of contracting with EquipSystems for a detailed cleaning at a Massachusetts hospital was an increased sense of camaraderie and teamwork.
Kennedy had engaged EquipSystems in the past, when he was the director of housekeeping for a large, New England hospital. He noted that, although in-house productivity was high, in-house staff sometimes needed help with deep cleaning. Impending regulatory inspections often prompt hospitals to catch up on delayed work in certain areas, such as, for example, deep cleaning of certain equipment. Engaging EquipSystems to meet and exceed regulatory requirements proved to be a good investment on those occasions.
Now that Kennedy leads a contract hospital cleaning service, he again called upon EquipSystems for that occasional boost, bringing an already clean hospital into the realm of the extraordinary.
According to Kennedy, EquipSystems staffers worked on a schedule that was most convenient and least disruptive to the hospital, even if it meant working off hours. They took the time to understand the culture and expectation of the hospital, and adapted readily to clients’ needs and expectations.
The impact on staff was impressive. Staff members reported increased pride in their workplace and a sense of collaboration, as they really discussed and focused on the function and purpose of various pieces of equipment. The detailed cleaning provided a springboard for increased organization of the workplace. Hospital leaders were very pleased with the overall improvement in the environment and staff satisfaction.
Kennedy is eager someday to introduce EquipSystems to a hospital kitchen. He believes the payback in that environment would also exceed expectations.
As a contractor, Kennedy’s reputation was on the line when he called in a third party to conduct such an in-depth cleaning.
“EquipSystems cleaned and did minor repairs on thousands of pieces of equipment,” said Kennedy. “They restored useful life to equipment that was looking tired. Their work was excellent, and it reflected positively on everyone. I have no hesitation bringing in EquipSystems.”