CRMC Seeing Success From New Environmental Services Plan Implementation

Cookeville Regional Medical Center seeing positive trends after implementing a new environmental services plan last year.

Environmental Services Director Olline Taylor said over the last year her team has revised department training, created a professional floor tech team, and received more certifications. She said the environmental services team has also improved its efficiency in cleaning patient areas.

“And that’s due to the new program we put in place on the steps on how to clean a room,” Taylor said. “It’s giving them structure, and that’s one of the things they needed.”

Taylor said next year’s action plan will have a focus on improving its Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems scores. HCAHPS scores are used to enable objective comparisons of hospitals across a variety of metrics, as well as create incentives for hospitals and healthcare organizations to compete on patient engagement and satisfaction. Taylor said since September 2020, the facility’s score has risen to 66.67 with a goal of achieving a score of 70 in the next year.

Taylor said in order to maintain these successes, the team will continue to manage the processes they have put into place. She said that includes patient room monitoring, following the room cleaning steps, and making patients more comfortable.

CRMC CEO Buffy Key said the hospital talks a lot about patient care, but the hospital cannot function without the efforts of the environmental services team.

“We cannot move a patient through this system without them,” Key said. “And they have joined together as a team, and she’s lost a few and hse’s gained a few but they are professionals and they are proud of what they do so I cannot commend them enough.”