The Infection Control Today® environmental services (EVS) page recognizes the team responsible for sanitation and cleaning within the health care system. EVS personnel are an integral component of infection prevention in the hospital, working closely together with the health care staff to ensure patient safety and hygiene standards. ICT® keeps a close eye on developments in the environmental services industry and reports on any peer-reviewed literature. This page also features video interviews with EVS and the professionals who interact with them.
December 9th 2024
Discover how a groundbreaking color additive for disinfectant wipes improved hospital cleanliness by 69.2%, reduced microbial presence by nearly half, and enhanced cleaning efficiency—all without disrupting workflows.
Candida auris: How Environmental Hygiene Protects Vulnerable Patients
October 7th 2022COVID-19 has not been the only pathogen that has been spreading the last few years. Candida auris has taken a hold, not only in the United States but around the world. Here are the details and how environmental hygiene practices can protect patients in a health care setting.
Updating How EVS Operational Standards and Benchmarks Are Evaluated
October 6th 2022The method used to determine costs and expenses in environmental services (EVS) in hospitals is often flawed because many times the individuals creating the standards have never worked in EVS. AHE is addressing this problem.
2022 Clean Hospitals Day International Conference Tackles Environmental Hygiene Issues
October 5th 2022Gathering in beautiful Geneva, Switzerland, experts from all over the world will discuss the problems and possible solutions facing environmental hygiene today. Alexandra Peters, PhD, Clean Hospitals, talks to ICT® about the details.
2022 AHE Conference Highlights Environmental Education
October 3rd 2022The Association for Health Care Environment (AHE) annual conference brings together those individuals passionate about environmental hygiene. Rock Jensen, the AHE president for the board of advisors, describes to ICT® the goals of this year's conference.
Investment in Environmental Services Saves Money and Lives, Boosts Morale: An Example From Geneva
September 27th 2022Environmental services teams (EVS) are crucial players in ensuring patient satisfaction and combating health care–associated infections, yet, too many EVS teams are invisible. They deserve recognition, and this article by environmental hygiene experts explains why and how to give appreciation effectively.
Ultraviolet C Light Technology Debate: Are First and Second Generation Equal?
September 20th 2022With the debate swirling around the efficacy and safety of UV-C technology, an individual needs which generation the product is. Infection Control Today® continues its ongoing special reporting on UV-C technology.
Transforming a Pandemic Response Unit From an Inpatient Nursing Unit
September 15th 2022With COVID-19 beginning to surge, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center needed to create a response unit from what had been an inpatient nursing unit. A recent study explains how this conversion was effective and can stand as an example for other facilities.
The Role of Health Care Laundry in Infection Prevention
July 21st 2022Environmental sources of pathogen organisms can sometimes be difficult to narrow down in a health care facility. One possible source of transmission is the laundry used, and not maintaining strict cleanliness attention can put both patients and workers at risk.
Selecting the Best Disinfectant/Application Method: Keeping C difficile and C auris at Bay
July 6th 2022A recent study by NYU Langone investigators determined that disinfecting high-touch surfaces within patient rooms with NaDCC via wipes and electrostatic sprayers yielded lower mean bacteria colony counts.