Houston Methodist Hospital is a large, complex organization with more than 75 operating rooms (ORs) and nearly 7,400 employees. Established in 1919, Houston Methodist Hospital offers leading specialists in every field of medicine and is consistently ranked among the best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.

The Problem: No Accountability For Deep Cleaning Medical Equipment

The vice president of operations at Houston Methodist Hospital contacted EquipSystems because the hospital’s busy staff wasn’t taking responsibility for deep cleaning medical equipment like IV poles, carts and wheels.

When nobody owns this task and the equipment isn’t cleaned on a routine basis, equipment naturally becomes soiled from general use and gummy from old tape, taking on a grimy appearance that’s a turnoff to patients and staff alike.

Also, due to the size of Houston Methodist Hospital, keeping inventory of hospital equipment was challenging. This made it difficult to determine when the hospital needed to order new equipment.

The Solution: Partnering With EquipSystems For Annual Deep Cleaning Services

For accreditation, Houston Methodist Hospital uses DNV GL, which does inspections annually rather than every three years like the Joint Commission. The hospital’s philosophy is to be in a constant state of readiness.

To help fulfill this core philosophy, Houston Methodist Hospital partnered with EquipSystems for a deep hospital cleaning of its medical equipment. In addition to ensuring equipment was cleaned, hospital leaders wanted equipment that lasted longer and looked better, which helps encourage staff to maintain a constant state of cleanliness.

“It’s been beneficial from how things look,” the VP of operations said. “What they do best is quality work.”

The hospital enjoys a scalable partnership. Some years, the hospital only has EquipSystems deep clean OR equipment. EquipSystems handles transporting the equipment to and from the cleaning area, saving the hospital time.

EquipSystems also does medical equipment repairs when needed, such as fixing wheels on carts that don’t roll well or replacing parts (so long as the hospital provides the new parts).

The Result: Clean Equipment, Happy Staff And Improved Inventory

The VP of operations at Houston Methodist Hospital noted that EquipSystems minimizes disruptions, often working evenings and weekends.

“This isn’t a glamorous job, and it’s hard to find people who want to consistently do this type of work,” she said. “Everyone we’ve worked with has provided phenomenal customer service and had a great attitude.”

She added that employee perception improved after the medical equipment received a routine deep clean as “people just feel better working in a place where things look good and work.” Plus, patients no longer comment about equipment that looks worn out.

Healthcare facility management is where EquipSystems provides an extra-added value. In addition to before-and-after pictures of the medical equipment cleaning, EquipSystems also provides hospital-wide inventory data. With this information, the VP of operations was able to send every OR an equipment list detailing what was cleaned. EquipSystems also sends an inventory list for any broken medical equipment, noting what’s repairable and what isn’t, so the hospital knows exactly what needs to be replaced.

After seeing such positive results, Houston Methodist Hospital plans to continue using EquipSystems for an annual cleaning.

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