Fresno Heart & Surgical is California’s cleanest hospital

Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital has been named California’s cleanest hospital and ranked among the top 7% cleanest hospitals in the nation.

The designation was made after surveying patients from hospitals nationwide. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems (or HCAHPS) asks patients to rate their hospital experience, including communication with doctors and nurses, responsiveness of staff, pain management and the quietness and cleanliness of the hospital environment.

Hospital CEO Wanda Holderman congratulated the housekeeping department for its exceptional work: “We’re extremely proud of this distinction. The hospital features a beautiful environment that fosters healing and wellness. The facility looks as pristine as the day it opened in October of 2003, and I attribute much of that to our environmental services staff and their devotion to cleanliness."

Tim Santos, housekeeping manager at Fresno Heart & Surgical, said he knew even before official survey results came out that patients noticed his staff’s efforts. “Whenever I go out in public in my hospital scrubs, people stop me and tell me about their experience and they say, ‘The hospital is so beautiful and clean.’ I always get that tag ‘and so clean.’”

Santos uses a simple prescription to achieve a spotless hospital: hire caring people who clean as if it were their family member lying in the hospital bed, and then give them plenty of support and encouragement. “Housekeepers are not just janitors here. This is a profession and we’re part of the patient care team,” Santos said. “We know we can be shut down just as quickly for cleanliness practices as for medical practices.”

Members of the Fresno Heart & Surgical housekeeping team are joined by hospital CEO Wanda Holderman (third from right). Pictured, from left to right are: Ismael Rodriguez, Esther Garcia, Richard Ramirez, Cecilia Cantu, manager Tim Santos, Irma Garcia, Savann Long, Holderman, Byron Castillo and Gary Lynch.

Esther Garcia, a 10-year employee of Community Medical Centers who has been at Fresno Heart & Surgical since its opening in 2003, said politeness along with polish is part of her cleaning routine. “We give the best care for patients,” she said. “Courtesy is important. I’m always polite and professional.”

She said the pride housekeepers feel makes it good to come to work. “The hospital is wonderful. I love working here.”

Richard Ramirez, a four-year housekeeper at the hospital, is the expert at room decontamination, sweeping in with a special dry cleaning machine for drapes and carpeting, taking less than an hour to make a room sparkle and pass white glove and micro-biology tests. “We don’t have to call in outsiders for this,” said Ramirez proudly. “I like to brag about us. This (ranking) feels great. Our job is important and it’s noticed by patients.

“Now I can say we’re the best in California!” said Ramirez, with an ear to ear grin.

The HCAHPS survey seeks to produce meaningful hospital comparisons for consumers, enhance hospital accountability and provide incentives for hospitals to improve quality of care. The survey asks patients “how often” they received good customer service during their stay; patients rate various items on a “Never,” “Sometimes,” “Usually” or “Always” scale.

This story was reported by Erin Kennedy. She can be reached at ekennedy@communitymedical.org.

Monday, November 03, 2008