Building Better Experiences: Partnering with EVS to Enhance Patient Care 

By Andrew Cowart-Oberle, PhD, MHA, CPXP and Heather Lazarides,  MHA, MS CCC-SLP, CPXP, Director of Patient Experience at BJC Health System 

Our Patient Experience (PX) team partnered with Environmental Services (EVS) to explore ways to enhance patient experience through their work. These discussions recognized the vital role EVS plays in patient experience, supported by patient experience data and a powerful video featuring housekeeper Moses.  

The EVS team eagerly shared insights and offered creative solutions, organized into four key focus areas: 

• Employee environment
• Patient personal cleanliness 
• Standard work 
• Memorable moments 

Employee Environment: Creating a Supportive Workplace 
To foster a supportive workplace, the team proposed starting each shift with a positive quote and creating individualized plans for receiving feedback and constructive criticism. Additionally, they suggested reorganizing and labeling cleaning carts to make tools and supplies easier to find, enhancing efficiency and reducing stress.

Patient Personal Cleanliness: Enhancing Patient Wellbeing 
To ensure patient wellbeing through personal cleanliness, the team brainstormed ways to guarantee that clean linens and towels are always available to patients without adding unnecessary clutter to their rooms. They also discussed how “Just Cleaned” cards left in rooms and restrooms can enhance patient perceptions of cleanliness and contribute to their overall satisfaction and health. 

Standard Work: Optimizing Operational Excellence 
To boost operational excellence, the EVS team suggested recognizing exceptional work, piloting a paired housekeeping approach for better efficiency, and revamping onboarding to include more hands-on training. 

Memorable Moments: Crafting Lasting Patient Experiences 
To create memorable moments for patients, the EVS team expressed a desire to engage more meaningfully with patients, from simply asking how they are doing to offering to pray with them. These small but significant interactions can leave a lasting positive impression on patients, making their stay more pleasant and personal. Additionally, they expressed how positive feedback from patients makes them feel and motivates them to always bring their best self to every encounter. 

Implementing Ideas and Seeing Results 
Following these productive meetings, EVS and PX leadership began implementing the proposed ideas with promising results, with feedback indicating a positive impact on both patient experience and employee satisfaction. For example: 

First, the EVS team achieved a 2.5% increase in the hospital’s Cleanliness Top Box score, rising from the 49th percentile to the 64th percentile in the year following this collaborative. 
 
Second, the EVS team achieved a 28.5% reduction in Adjusted Voluntary Turnover (AVT), improving from 60% AVT to 31.5% AVT in the year following our meetings. Leadership attributes this improvement to reconnecting the team to their purpose, standardizing training and preceptor protocols, and intentionally creating career development pathways. 

Third, EVS team members reported a greater sense of belonging in the organization in the year after participating in this collaborative. Before this collaborative, 46% of EVS team members completed the organizational belonging survey with a 69% positive response. After this collaborative, 81% of EVS team members completed the survey with an 80% positive response.  

The collaboration between the PX and EVS teams has not only improved patient experience but also created a more supportive and engaged work environment for our dedicated EVS members. By sustaining these efforts, we can continue to elevate the human experience while fostering a positive, inclusive atmosphere for both patients and staff. 

About the Authors

Andrew Cowart-Oberle

In 2012, Andrew Cowart-Oberle survived a vicious chimpanzee attack in South Africa, leading to an extensive recovery that required over two dozen surgeries and countless hours of rehabilitation. Now, he is thriving and has dedicated himself to supporting others on their journeys from surviving to thriving and advocating for disability inclusion and equity. Currently, Andrew serves as a Patient Experience Partner for BJC HealthCare, working with his teammates to continuously enhance the human experience in healthcare across the region and ensure patients’ and families’ voices are always heard.

Heather Lazarides

Heather oversees Patient Experience strategy and operations at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital, and the Siteman Cancer Treatment Centers. She has served in various leadership roles in her community, including President of the Missouri Speech and Hearing Association and Director at Large of Programming for the St. Louis Chapter of Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association. She earned her B.S. and M.S. in Speech Pathology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and her Master of Healthcare Administration from Webster University.