The Dirt on Hospital Cleanliness

Christine Foore, Director, Customer Relations, WellSpan Health – York Hospital
Nicholas Frolio, Director, Housekeeping, WellSpan Health – York Hospital
Tracy Lee, Director, Patient Experience, WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital
Charlie Altemose, Manager of Housekeeping Services, WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital

WellSpan Health hospitals were faced with below average patient experience scores related to perceptions of cleanliness. Executive leadership and the Board of Directors challenged the hospitals to improve their scores. Seemingly daunting challenges for WellSpan Health included aging facilities, semi-private rooms, perceived lack of accountability and engagement by all employees as well a siloed culture where practices varied by hospital and even by units within the hospitals. WellSpan Health tackled this problem head-on through a systematic approach based on the following concepts: standardization of tasks to improve actual cleanliness, improvement in communication about cleanliness with patients and staff and establishment of a culture of engagement and accountability. In this presentation, learn how WellSpan Health used a system-wide, structured approach to improve cleanliness while also honoring the daily operational realities of each individual hospital.