2024 EVS Department of the Year: Munson Medical Center
FROM LEFT: Environmental services department leaders Brenda Gauthier, Munson Medical Center (MMC) EVS first shift manager; Sheryl Harris, EVS coordinator; Tina Crawford-Hill, Munson Healthcare (MHC) EVS trainer; Robert Richardson, vice president of MMC surgery and system support services; Sabernia Schaub, third shift supervisor; Brynn Givens, MHC EVS system director; Zoe Loomis, MHC EVS educator; and Doneva Schlueter, MMC EVS second shift manager.
Image courtesy of Munson Medical Center
When the leadership at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, Mich., initiated a strategic plan to improve discharge turnover and patient admission times in February 2023, the environmental services (EVS) department played an essential role. It reprioritized standard work to focus on discharge cleaning; established a nine-person team solely dedicated to discharge cleaning; and created the position of discharge coordinator, who oversees the bed management system to ensure the discharge team responds swiftly.
The result? Discharge turnover times decreased an average of 80 minutes. That success led, in part, to an average increase of 216.83 additional admissions per month.
The EVS department’s contribution to this initiative is not surprising. The culture of the department — and the people attracted and motivated by that culture — ensure the department’s success, says Munson Healthcare’s Brynn Givens, T-CHEST, T-CSCT, EVS system director.
“The team is excited to come into work, they’re excited to be here, and even when we have our challenging days, they’re not so bad,” Givens says. “We really strive to provide a great culture here in EVS at Munson Medical Center.”
Building culture
Givens says her department has implemented a variety of programs over the past five years to build culture. A key program, which was created in partnership with the human resources department, is Employees Achieving Goals Through Life Enrichment (EAGLE).
EAGLE is designed to help employees tap their talents and achieve goals. It is customized for each participant and includes access to a life coach and financial coach.
“And qualifying participants have access to emergency funding. So, if their car breaks down, they can request funding and receive it free and clear, without having to pay it back,” Givens explains. “We’re super excited to be piloting this program. I don’t know of another organization offering that type of resource.”
Mary Sobbry, EVS professional III, navigates her cleaning cart through a patient unit.
Image courtesy of Munson Medical Center
Another essential aspect of the department’s culture is that leaders are accessible and willing to dive in when needed.
“If I don’t have many meetings on my calendar, I come to work in my scrubs because I want my team to know I support them and I’m here to work with them,” Givens says. “And the same thing with meetings — if my door is open during a meeting, my team knows they can come in and ask me questions.”
Hiring and retention
The department’s culture contributes to retention, of course, but effective hiring practices also play a key role. A formal, multistep interview process was initiated in 2023 to make sure candidates were fully aware of what the job entails.
The first step is a phone call to go over the applicant’s expectations in terms of shift, wage and schedule. That is followed by an in-person interview to discuss the job in depth and a department tour.
“During the tour, I tell the applicants, ‘Feel free to ask the staff how they feel about the work environment here; don’t be shy,’” Givens explains. “Because I never want anyone to accept a position that doesn’t fit them.”
Zavier Tarrant, EVS professional I, sanitizes a computer workstation for safe use by hospital clinical staff.
Image courtesy of Munson Medical Center
Those who are still unsure after the tour are invited to experience a “day in the life” of an EVS professional by shadowing an existing employee for a day.
New employees are warmly welcomed on their first day with a card and a gift, and they complete a “Getting to Know You” document so their colleagues and leaders familiarize themselves.
New hires also are paired with a dedicated trainer through Munson’s preceptor/orientation program. This ensures new staff members understand their job and related safety hazards.
An established career ladder also helps retention. New hires start as EVS Professional and are promoted to EVS Professional II once they demonstrate competency in two or more areas. After 12 months, employees can earn Certification Surgical Cleaning Technicians, Certified Health Care Environmental Services Technician and floor care certifications, which lead to EVS Professional III or Floor Care Tech IV. Each of these steps comes with an increase in wage.
Tina Reeves, EVS professional III, carries out floor cleaning duties in the hospital.
Image courtesy of Munson Medical Center
For employees who aspire to work in other departments at the hospital, EVS provides introductions, job shadows and resume development. New hires are required to stay in the department just one year, so staff can quickly move to new opportunities if they would like to.
The career ladder and other human resources initiatives have pushed the turnover rate from 35.37% in fiscal year 2023 to 16.87% in the first few months of fiscal year 2024.
Technology implementation
Munson’s EVS department has implemented various technological initiatives in recent years. For example, the electronic bed management equipment helps the department manage occupied and unoccupied bed stats. When a discharge room needs to be cleaned, the EVS team receives immediate notice and can prioritize work accordingly.
Staff members carry pagers for code alerts and departmental communications, and specific individuals carry phones to accommodate immediate communication when needed.
Another technology program that has helped the medical center’s EVS department is a software platform to manage education and competency. This platform has significantly increased the efficiency of record management and ensures that all employees are completing their required competencies.
Working together
The success of the department is facilitated by partnerships with other departments.
For example, the hospital’s food and nutrition services team and EVS department support each other as needed, such as when staffing challenges affect their ability to serve patients.
The hospital also has a multi-disciplinary SWAT team that includes EVS, facilities, nursing and biomedical engineering. The team collaborates on environmental enhancements to patient care areas, such as refinishing floors, painting and equipment repair.
Taste of success
Givens says the department was delighted to learn it had won the Association for the Health Care Environment’s EVS Department of the Year Award.
Munson Medical Center’s environmental services shifts celebrate winning the Association for the Health Care Environment’s EVS Department of the Year Award in the 250-499 beds category by posing outside the hospital’s historic administration building, which used to be part of an old state hospital, with Human Resources Business Partner Natalie Purchase (far left in black pants) and Infection Prevention Partner Katherine West (far right in purple shirt).
Image courtesy of Munson Medical Center
“It means everything to us,” she says. “Industrywide, EVS doesn’t get recognized as much as it should, and it means a lot to the team that we were willing to go out there and find and do this for them. We were in tears when we won, to be honest with you.”
Ed Avis is a freelance writer based in Chicago.